


Obligation To Keep

by Blackout_42



Category: Armored Core (Video Games), Doki Doki Literature Club! (Visual Novel)
Genre: Apocalypse, Cannibalism, Canon-Typical Violence, Corpse Desecration, Evil Corporations, Far Future, Genocide, Graphic Description of Corpses, Gun Violence, Horror, Implied Sexual Content, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Mecha, Modern Era, Murder, Post-Apocalypse, Psychic Abilities, Science Fiction, Suicidal Thoughts, Suicide Attempt, Technobabble, Terrorism, Time Travel, War, War Crimes
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-11
Updated: 2021-02-23
Packaged: 2021-03-15 11:41:21
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 23
Words: 188,640
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28688067
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Blackout_42/pseuds/Blackout_42
Summary: Lost hundreds of years before his time, Strayed is coerced into joining a Literature Club. While he is trialed to face his own forgotten humanity, his new friends will come to know of the horrors left in his wake. WARNING: Rated M for extremely graphic violence.
Relationships: Yes - Relationship
Comments: 1
Kudos: 3





	1. An Inconvenience

"Hard to explain" did not begin to accurately describe his current situation. "Hard to explain" was best used for situations involving embarrassing deaths through sexual misadventure, not the centuries long displacement currently being experienced.

His name was Strayed. Last Lynx of ORCA. A super-soldier mercenary fighting in the twenty-fifth century against The League of Ruling Corporations for the future of Earth. He had hunted, slaughtered, and conquered his way across the world against armies, Lynx, and Arms Fort battle stations.

At the end of his campaign, fighting the cause for dead men he respected, he had succeeded, only to get caught in a ten-megaton explosion from a defeated Answerer Class Arms Fort. Yet instead of a quick death, he found himself back, to the year 2016, in a nation called Japan.

Highly confused but not incapable of decision, he had moved to hide the tool of his trade. A fourth generation Armored Core NEXT. Despite being one of the most advanced weapon systems ever created, the ten-meter-tall mech was near useless after his final battles. The armor was ruined, mechanisms slow and sticking, sensors half blinded, heat sinks melted, and ammo depleted; it had but two useful components left.

It's computer systems, and it's reactor.

Having successfully hidden the mech in an abandoned warehouse, he first used the computer systems to hack his way into government networks to not only make himself a legal citizen of this land, but also to set up his next step.

It took weeks to build, but he had successfully removed the miniaturized cold-fusion Kojima Reactor from his NEXT and incorporated it into the local power grid. Set at a safe setting, the reactor could sustain 75 Terawatt hours of energy every year, which by his count was three times more powerful than the best nuclear reactors of this time.

Yet making millions from a self-sufficient reactor and selling patents for advanced technology wasn't good enough. As a Lynx, he lived for violence. Hunting and ending targets was hard coded into his split psychology.

Unfortunately, society was not in collapse. Corporations did not rule the world. Mercenaries were not the middle class. His kind of work was not in high demand. So, he had to go looking for it.

* * *

Tokyo-Upper-class District/ 22:00

The lights of Tokyo did not impress him. He had seen greater mega-structures in his own life that dwarfed his current surroundings, both in scale and capacity. Yet he was on a mission. The most basic and straightforward mission he had hoped he would not repeat. Looking for work.

He knew exactly where he was going. A side entrance to an upscale office led him to a heavy door with a sliding view-port. Knocking heavily, he waited a moment before a face with hard, dark eyes appeared in the slit.

"Fuck off Gaijin."

The slide shut violently. With a sigh, Strayed readied himself, put on his best smile, and knocked again.

Before the slider had finished opening, he had already punched the door. Right off its hinges. The man on the other side became trapped beneath the door. With his opening made, Strayed leapt into the room, eyes up and scanning for threats.

His eyes fell on a surprised guard, stunned and reaching for a gun on the table. Before he could raise it, the soldier was upon him, striking fragile pressure points in his arms and shoulders, disabling them. The man stood, his gun clattering to the ground while his arms hung weakly at his sides.

Without pause Strayed had already ran into the next room, a group of three men were up with guns in hand. A nearby table rested at his feet. With a flick of his ankle the table was flung at two of the men. The third man was too surprised to shoot, doubly so when the lone Lynx rushed him, jumping over his head and kicking him in the back. After falling to the floor, the man turned to regard his attacker, only to find an air duct had been smashed open and the Lynx was nowhere to be seen.

. . .

The boss in the building held his gun toward the door. A calm expression on his face. He was an older man of high esteem. Respected and feared in the city. He considered who had been foolish enough to break into his building and attack his men. If they were after him, they would have a hard time getting past one hundred men, including his best fighters, and through the single door to his office.

He didn't have time to turn around when his ceiling collapsed, and then felt the strong arms of a tall man wrap threateningly around his neck.

With a choke and a gasp, the man struggled to speak. Fortunately, Strayed was ready.

" _Listen. Not here to fight. Just looking for work_."

The calm, foreign voice spoke into his ear.

"Y-y-you broke into here! Just to look for work! Do you know who we are!?" The older man exclaimed.

" _Mmmm, Yakuza last I checked. Unless, I'm mistaken. This isn't the orphanage is it?_ "

"Fuck You!"

" _Heh, well, whatever, point is I'm looking for work and your organization is the closest thing offering what I need_."

"You think we just hand out jobs to any trash that walks in here, huh punk?"

" _Oh, you have got it all wrong old man_."

With a shove, the boss was freed from his grasp and collapsed onto his desk. He stood and turned, gun still in hand, at his attacker.

With his gun on target, a hand shot out of the dark, removing the slide from it and leaving half a gun left in his hand. From the dark of his office. Another hand lightly threw something at the boss, who caught it at his chest. Bringing it up, he was shocked to see he was holding 1,000,000 Yen.

" _You see, I'm not interested in money. I just want to work. As a cleaner. And you seem like the only organization in the area to offer that kind of thing_."

The man regarded the words and the money in his hand. Smiling, he lowered his half gun and took his attacker seriously.

"If you just wanted to kill for fun, why didn't you go to the Middle-East? It's open season on terrorists now."

The shadow he had been speaking to shrugged.

" _My main source of income is energy and patents. Can't do either of those without a stable infrastructure. And I don't kill for fun. It's just what I do best_."

The Yakuza boss considered the offer. Smiling deviously, he extended his hand.

"If you don't mind, I'd like to see an example of your work first. I have a 'job' a few rooms over. If you are up for it…Mr?..."

Stepping into the light, a young man, European/Middle-Eastern mix with dark hair and cold, orange eyes stepped up to him. He was dressed in dark combat fatigues and a faded and worn black trench coat. He raised his hand as well and shook it.

"James Klein. But you can call me _Strayed_."

. . .

Led apprehensively to a dark room, Strayed strode into it and saw a man tied to a chair, a hood on his head.

" _This the guy?_ "

"Yes. Caught this fucker skimming our funds for himself. But let's make this quick, I have to oversee the damage you did breaking in here."

The Yakuza boss took out his gun and turned it for Strayed to take, but he declined.

" _Actually, I'd like you to see how committed I am to the job if you don't mind_."

The boss shrugged but nodded. Strayed removed his trench coat and handed it to one of the Yakuza men. The man spat on his coat.

Strayed turned to the man tied in the chair. Without hesitation his right hand burst forward and penetrated the man's chest, lifting him while he did so.

The man screamed horribly and loudly, kicking and choking with his hands still bound. With another motion Strayed threw his hand down, the man collapsing in a heap on the floor. A still beating organ in his hand.

Turning around the eyes of the boss and his thug were wide. The man with his coat took out a handkerchief and began to clean the coat before handing it back.

With a sigh and a smile, Strayed took his coat back, taking the handkerchief as well to clean his bloodied hand.

" _A pleasure doing business with you. Let's do this again. Real soon_."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: Welcome reader. This is not my first attempt at a fanfiction story. My first one started five years ago and I had to stop because my main character's design had changed drastically. As well, I kept adding sub-plot onto sub-plot to the point that a story that was originally similar to this in scale at the outset would come to encompass an entire planet. I haven't given up on that story, but I will need to rewrite it in it's entirety.
> 
> This story I started just over half a year ago, after playing Doki Doki for the first time. I thought, "What if I put my OC into this world?" and this story was the answer. Do not worry, I have every intention of finishing it. While my approach to the 'Armored Core' part of the story is imaginative at best and controversial at worst, I hope it does not remove from entertainment I hope to bring you. Please Enjoy!
> 
> Also, this fic is updated first on Fanfic, just decided to add it here at irregular intervals.


	2. Invitation

"Heeeeeeeyyy!"

A girl ran down the street, chasing a figure in the distance; waving her arms, oblivious to any attention she might draw.

That girl was Sayori, his neighbor of the last few months and someone who called herself his friend.

After being hired as a kind of "associate" for the Yakuza, James needed a place to stay. He found a quiet suburb, halfway between the Yakuza and the industrial sector where his power-plant and beat up mech were stored.

His movement had not gone unnoticed, and his new neighbor, a girl his age with coral pink hair and bright blue eyes had introduced herself.

It was obvious to both James and Strayed that Sayori was infatuated with James. Though they would never return those feelings, James humored Sayori by spending time with her during her time off from school.

It was through her that James discovered something terrible about himself. His social ignorance. Sure, he was smart enough to take an 03-Aaliyah arm unit apart blindfolded and put it back together. But ask him what his favorite food was, and his only answer was "anything that doesn't contain human."

Sayori laughed at him for that, not realizing how serious he was at that moment.

Still, it was a large enough issue that he sought to rectify it. So, with incalculable reluctance, James enrolled in the local high school. Unfortunately, it was also Sayori's high school.

It would be polite of him to wait and walk with her, though he was half a mind to just run away at sixty kilometers an hour. However, by the time he had finished a deep sigh while standing idly, she had caught up.

Catching her breath, she took a moment before she could speak.

"Sorry! I overslept again! But I caught you this time!"

"Perhaps, but only because I allowed you too."

"Eeehhhhh, you say that like you were thinking about ignoring me! That's mean!" Sayori cried out like she had been hurt.

"I'm not going to be dishonest with you, your antics notwithstanding."

"Fine, fine. But you did wait for me, after all. I guess you don't have it in you to be mean even if you want to." She beamed at him with a small smile.

That was not entirely true. People that bothered him died without a second thought. However, Sayori wasn't a threat, wasn't interested in him for his money, his status, or his ability to provide food. She was just…herself, a minor nuisance that reminded him of a time he could not recall. At best, he allowed her to stick around him, because she was something different, something new in an old world.

As they drew closer to the school, more students filled the streets around them.

"By the way James, have you decided on a club to join yet?"

"Mmmh? That's not important. I won't be joining a club."

"Ehh! But I think you really should! It would help you to socialize with people more and that's really going to be important once you finish school! Your happiness is really important to me. And I know you are content now, but I'd die at the thought of you becoming a NEET in a few years because you're not used to the real world!"

Why did she even care? It was not her prerogative how he interacted with people. He got on just fine how he handled people now, through contracts and through his work.

But he wasn't home. People had more value here than just corporate property. He couldn't just kill them and then pay a fine to their Overseer. That changed things slightly.

"I will…consider it. No promises, though."

"Will you at least promise me you'll try a little?" Sayori asked him seriously. Her bright eyes, filled with hope, looked at him.

"…" He didn't answer. It was difficult to formulate a response sometimes. With great apprehension he closed his eyes and nodded to her.

"Good." She smiled sweetly.

* * *

Eight Hours Later

James's time at the school was unique to say the least. As a "foreigner" he had been required to take a form of competency test to place him as a student. The results were highly illogical. He had absolutely perfect marks for math, science, physics, and biology. The method and ease at which he reached solutions was considered unusual.

In language he scored perfect marks in grammar, but oddly, suffered with simple words. He knew words like microeconomics, negative coefficient, and superconducting electromagnet. Yet words he had never heard before confounded him, usually basic and common nouns.

He hadn't bothered attempting the history test, he left it blank; and the geography test was disconcerting at best, seeing as he recalled certain places ceased to exist at a certain point, or were altered beyond recognition.

So, he had spent his day bouncing from grade to grade, filling massive gaps in his educational background.

At the end of the day he was left with little to do. His absolute and calculating focus ensured he had already finished all his homework. Having a split personality and being ambidextrous helped to get more work done at once.

He then remembered that Sayori had asked him to consider a club. He had earnestly looked, yet nothing stood out to him. Even with things he was good at, he had no interest using his hands on inferior technology. He had already researched the combustion engine and found it to be woefully inefficient to even First Generation Armored Core Nuclear Reactors. He also had no desire to play soldier when his previous rank as Lynx was equivalent to a Colonel or General in this time that he found himself. He had no other interest and had simply decided to stop pretending to look.

He turned to look as Sayori came into the room.

"Oh, hi James." She sounded kindly. "Have you thought of a club to join?"

Shaking his head, he replied flatly. "I saw nothing that interested me."

"Ah. Well, you could always join my club you know?"

"Sayori?"

"Yeah!"

"I'm not interested."

"Eeeehhhhh?! Meanie!"

James recalled that Sayori was Vice President of the Literature Club, something that he had no experience or understanding of.

"I think I'm just going to go home."

"C'mon, please?"

"Why are you being so insistent?"

Awkwardly, Sayori looked away. Her index fingers where pressed together, a quirk of hers when she felt embarrassed, James had noted.

"Well…I kind of told the club yesterday I would bring in a new member…and Natsuki made cupcakes and everything…ehehe..."

There was a bit of a translation error. Not from Japanese to English but in the Lingua Franca of years, from 2450 to 2017. The word "cupcake" had no translation and therefore went completely over James's head. As such, he interpreted her statement incorrectly but not inaccurately.

Sayori was contract bound to arrive at her club with another person slated as a new member, as far as James could interpret.

"…" He sighed, a hand coming up to rub his eyes. It had been about a week since he last slept, having spent the additional time at night to prepare for school. He would consider getting some shut eye within the next few days.

Giving a defeated one-handed shrug, he answered back. "Alright, fine. I will at least see what this club is, but it is still in consideration."

"Yes! Let's go!" Sayori squealed in delight.

* * *

For what would happen over the next few months, one might say James sold his soul, for a cupcake no less. Except for one thing.

Lynx had no souls.

With passive interest, James followed Sayori across the school and upstairs to the third year's level. Full of energy, she eagerly swung open the door to the clubroom.

"Everyone! The new member is here!" Sayori shouted happily.

"May I remind you I didn't agree yet-!" With a pause of surprise, James regarded the club members.

"Welcome to the Literature Club. It's a pleasure meeting you." The tallest girl present greeted. She held a polite demeanor. Her hair and eyes were a deep, dark purple. "Sayori always says nice things about you."

"Seriously? You brought the foreign boy? Way to kill the atmosphere." Stated rudely the shortest girl, who had bright pink hair and eyes. Quietly, James started listing the number of Lynx who would have snapped her neck where she stood for her insolence.

"Ah James! What a nice surprise! Welcome to the Club!" The last and second tallest girl exclaimed. She had light brown hair and radiant emerald eyes.

"…" All words escaped him in this situation. This club, was full of _human women_.

_For. Fucks. Sake. Why. ME?!_

James's sensitive nose did not fail to notice the rising levels of estrogen in the air. It gave him the urge to jump out the window and transfer to an all-boys school. It wasn't that he didn't like girls, but human girls were complicated and _fragile_ compared to a Lynx.

There was something that did not belong in the air as well. Blood. Not _that_ kind of blood. Somewhere in the room, open wounds seeping, and pooling under the skin. Both distinct smells, fresh, recent. It gave him pause.

"What are you looking at?" Asked the rude girl. "If you want to say something, say it."

"…" There wasn't anything he wanted to say. A part of him was already set on leaving; another part, curious, on where he would find the blood.

"Natsuki…" The tallest girl called the rudest.

"Hmph." Natsuki crossed her arms. The impression that perhaps they had been too harsh towards the foreigner.

"You can just ignore her when she gets moody." Sayori suggested to him, though truthfully, he was doing it already.

"Anyway! This is Natsuki, always full of energy." Sayori introduced. "And this is Yuri, the smartest in the club!" Sayori gestured to the tallest girl.

"D-don't say things like that…" Yuri grasped at a strand of her hair nervously, turning to look away.

"…Hello, nice to meet you both." James faked a smile, uncertainty extreme. He was a hunter and a killer, talking in this manner pushed the limits of his knowledge.

"And it sounds like you already know Monika, is that right?" Sayori asked, referencing the last girl present.

"That's right." Monika interjected. She stood confidently, forward. "It's great to see you again, James." She smiled sweetly.

James barely knew her. She was present at the school when he was trying to transfer into it and had taken an _obvious_ interest in him, while he had been hoping to forget her. He had heard, through passing comments in halls and through doors with his sensitive ears, many things about her. She was someone who did not go unnoticed in the school. He had personally wanted to avoid that, seeing as he brought too much attention to himself already as a six-foot-tall foreigner.

Having her smile at him…did not bode well.

"Y-you too, Monika." James replied hesitantly.

"Come sit down, James! We made room for you at the table, so you can sit next to me or Monika." Sayori eagerly explained. "I'll get the cupcakes-"

"Hey! I made them, I'll get them!" Natsuki exclaimed.

"Sorry, I got a little too excited…"

"Then, how about I make some tea as well?" Yuri suggested.

Left to his own devices, James was forced to choose sitting next to where Sayori would sit. Though much more active than Monika, he could at least predict what Sayori might say better. Additionally, he watched Natsuki go to retrieve a wrapped tray, further enforcing the idea that 'cupcake' was some kind of food. Meanwhile, Yuri went to the classroom closet.

Natsuki returned with her tray, marching proudly.

"Okaaay, are you ready?" Natsuki smiled eagerly. It was a massive shift in personality to how she was acting not a minute before.

 _No. I am not ready for this_. James thought hopelessly.

"…Ta-daa!" Natsuki exclaimed, reveling the cupcakes she had made. A dozen of them, decorated with white frosting to look like little cats.

"Uwooooah! So cuuuute!" Sayori exclaimed.

"I had no idea you were so good at baking, Natsuki!" Monika commented.

"Ehehe. Well, you know. Just hurry and take one!"

"…?...?!...!?" James's experience failed him. The 'cupcakes' looked like some kind of unit of food to him, but by their design they could have easily been an ornament. He only felt certain when Sayori grabbed one and eagerly shoved it in her mouth.

"It's delicious!" Sayori exclaimed, her mouth full and some of the icing on her face.

At the declaration that it was, in fact, food, James took one and eyed it curiously. The texture was a soft and spongy material, while the white material was slightly sticky. The smell tickled often unused receptors in his nose.

He noticed Natsuki, trying to discreetly watch him. It was already difficult trying to eat something that still had a face, her unnecessary interest wasn't helping.

Taking a bite, his tongue was then assaulted by something that was entirely foreign in taste. The shock so severe that he actually jumped slightly at its strength. His visceral reaction had not gone unnoticed.

Natsuki looked scared, frightened. She clutched the hem of the skirt on her uniform, tears moments away for spilling. In her mind, she had somehow made and served a rancid cupcake, and the one person she was trying so hard to impress had gotten it and would hate her for it.

Less dramatically, Monika noticed as well and voiced her concern. "James? Are you okay?"

"…Yes. I'm just surprised." James, still puzzled, stated. "It tastes…cold."

Natsuki stopped looking so scared and looked up in confusion. Sayori and Yuri both stopped to pay attention, having heard something odd, while Monika frowned.

"Do you mean like its frozen?" Monika inquired.

"No." James shook his head. "I mean it taste...cold." He stated again with more confidence. No one realized that descriptions for flavor beyond 'hot' and 'cold' did not survive past the Third Great Destruction.

"Can you not taste the vanilla James?" Sayori question, curious about the odd answer.

"Vuh…ni…luh?" James tried to pronounce the new word, ironically tasting the definition simultaneously.

"Is…this the first time you've eaten a cupcake James?" Yuri deduced.

"Yes." That much was certain.

"Then I think the words you are looking for is 'the vanilla is sweet'." Yuri suggested.

"Yeah. Cold…isn't a flavor." Monika added.

"Vanilla." James said, trying the word again. "Sweet."

"Wow, you had me worried there. And it turns out you just don't know the word for what you are eating, you baka." Natsuki returned to her normal self, confident that the fault had not been with her food, and glad that James seemed to enjoy it.

Unamused, Strayed tore the desk it was sitting in in half. With a quick stride it was upon the girl, it's other hand lifting her by her throat, crushing it and her neck within a second. The nerve of the impudent child, to disrespect a Lynx of ORCA so openly. It wasn't some child playing with words. It's actions had cemented it's name as the meaning of final vengeance. Without pause. Without mercy. Without remorse.

James blinked.

"…just don't know the word for what you are eating, you baka." Natsuki smiled confidently. Unaware of how close death had come to her.

Just a warning. A reminder of who his better half was.

"…Thank you for the food." James stated flatly.

"W-why are you thanking me? It's not like I...!" Natsuki defended. "…Made them for you or anything."

That wasn't what he recalled Sayori saying.

Yuri returned with a tea set which she set down next to the cupcakes, a teacup in front of every person.

James didn't have anything to add to the conversation. Not incorrectly interpreting his silence as apprehension, Monika decided to encourage him.

"Ehehe, don't let yourself get intimidated, Yuri's just trying to impress you."

"Eh? T-that's not..." Yuri jumped in surprise, looking away in embarrassment. "I just wanted you to enjoy a cup of tea with us."

"…Alright." At this point, James just reacted to things that happened. He had no thoughts or interest in the four girls.

"So, what made you consider the Literature Club?" Monika asked sweetly.

"Sayori forced me to come here." James answered honestly.

"Oh…" Monika said dejectedly. He did not fail to notice the four looks of disappointment around him, it was simply beneath his concern.

"Well…we'll make sure you feel right at home, okay?" Monika assured him. He doubted that severely. Of the three homes he considered his own, one was slaughtered, the second disbanded, and he was the entirety of the third.

Anatolia. Line Ark. ORCA.

"As president of the Literature Club, it's my duty to make the club fun and exciting for everyone!"

"…"

"To tell you a little about this club, I was originally a board member on the debate club." Monika began. "But I got tired of all the politics and wanted to do something I enjoyed with close friends, and to make it special. And if it encourages others to get into literature, then I'm fulfilling that dream!"

"Monika really is a great leader!" Sayori added. Yuri nodded in agreement.

"It has been slow though." Monika explained. "Not many people are very interested in putting out all the effort to start something brand new. Especially when it's something that doesn't grab your attention like literature. You have to work hard to convince people that you're both fun and worthwhile. But it makes school events, like festivals, that much more important."

"I'm confident that we can all really grow this club before we graduate!" Monika stated with a lot of enthusiasm. "Right everyone?"

"Yeah!" Sayori shouted happily.

"We'll do our best." Yuri stated confidently.

"You know it!" Natsuki exclaimed eagerly.

James wasn't really sold. The idea of willingly interacting with four overly hormonal human teenagers wasn't all that thrilling. Someone would probably get hurt with him around.

"So James, what kinds of things do you like to read?" Yuri inquired.

"Technical documents and contracts." James answered flatly. It wasn't something he _liked_ but was what he was very used to reading.

"…N-not much of a reader, I guess…" Yuri, along with everyone present, looked disappointed, again.

Curious about what someone from this era reads, James asked. "What about you, Yuri?"

"Well, lets see…" Yuri traced the rim of her teacup with her finger, setting off alarms in the back of James head.

"My favorites are usually novels that build deep and complex fantasy worlds. The level of creativity and craftsmanship behind them is amazing to me." Yuri continued to explain. "And telling a good story in such a foreign world is equally impressive."

It was becoming obvious that Yuri, despite having no confidence in herself, was deeply interested in reading complicated fictional stories. James wouldn't know what that was like. Both fiction and history were banned under The League.

"But you know, I like a lot of things. Stories with deep psychological elements usually immerse me as well." Yuri went on. "Isn't is amazing how a writer can so deliberately take advantage of your own lack of imagination to completely throw you for a loop? Anyway, I've been reading a lot of horror lately…"

"Huh." _Imagine that_ , James thought. He just got used to eating human-free products after a decade of it. The Closed Plan just added a few hundred million to his kill count. Yeah, he could imagine what Yuri liked to read about.

"Really? I wouldn't have expected that, Yuri." Monika commented. "For someone as gentle as you…"

"I guess you could say that." Yuri replied. "But if a story makes me think, or takes me to another world, then I really can't put it down.

"…" Despite his silence, James was listening intently.

"Surreal horror is often very successful at changing the way you look at the world, if only for a brief moment."

"Ugh, I hate horror." Natsuki spoke up.

"Oh, why is that?" Yuri questioned.

"Well, I just…" Natsuki looked at James for a moment. Something changed her mind.

"…Never mind."

"That's right, you usually like to write about cute things, don't you, Natsuki?" Monika noticed.

"W-what?" Natsuki shouted embarrassed. "What gives you that idea?"

"You left a piece of scrap paper behind last club meeting." Monika mentioned. "It looked like you were working on a poem called-"

"Don't say it out loud!" Natsuki shouted, turning red in the cheeks. "And give that back!"

"Fine, fine." Monika replied.

"Ehehe, your cupcakes, your poems…" Sayori approached Natsuki. "Everything you do is just as cute as you are-!" She then got behind her and put her hands on her shoulders.

"I'm not cute!" Natsuki shouted, eyes shut in frustration.

"…" Something got stuck in James mind. A new word that he didn't know. "What is…a poem?"

"Eh?" Natsuki asked. "You don't know what a poem is?"

James shook his head.

"Well, it's a…um." Embarrassed, Natsuki racked her brain to explain it while sounding smart. "A poem is like an idea, or a feeling that you have, and you write it down."

"…" James cocked his head slightly, trying to understand. "Can I see one?"

"No!" Natsuki shouted again, then turns, avoiding his eyes. "You wouldn't…like them…"

"…" James wouldn't know if he would like it or not. He had nothing to base it on.

"I understand how Natsuki feels." Yuri commented. "Sharing that level of writing takes more than just confidence. The truest form of writing is writing to oneself. You must be willing to open up to your readers, exposing your vulnerabilities and showing even the deepest reaches of your heart."

"…"

"Do you have writing experience too, Yuri?" Monika asked. "Maybe if you share some of your work, you can set an example and help Natsuki feel comfortable enough to share hers."

"…" Yuri was quiet.

"Aww…I wanted to read everyone's poems…" Sayori languished.

Everyone was silent for a long moment.

"Okay!" Monika shouted confidently. "I have an idea, everyone-"

Everyone turned their attention onto her, puzzled.

"Let's all go home and write a poem of our own!" Monika explained. "Then, next time we meet, we'll all share them with each other. That way, everyone is even!"

Both Natsuki and Yuri shared an apprehensive look.

"Yeaaah! Let's do it!" Sayori shouted enthusiastically.

"Plus, now that we have a new member, I think it will help us all get a little more comfortable with each other, and strengthen the bond of the club. Isn't that right James?" Monika smiled warmly at him once again. She was looking for too much. She would find no love in a Lynx's hearts.

"I never officially agreed to join this club. It is still under consideration." James answered back. "Sayori may have coerced me into showing up, but I am not yet convinced that this is something that will interest me."

The four girls looked at him sadly, with dejected eyes. He had seen that look many times, but to much greater effect. How many millions had he seen, deep in the mega-slums under the Earth, with eyes hollow and hopeless? He had not cared then when he passed them in their squalor, or when he had hunted them under contract.

"B-but…" Monika muttered uncertainly.

"I'm sorry, I thought…" Yuri apologized profusely.

"Hmph." Natsuki turned in a huff, her anger just barely hiding her sadness.

"James…" Sayori pleaded.

Why did the eyes of these spoiled children, who had the greatest luxury of _breathing clean air_ , compel him so? It was something of serious thought, he had to admit. But Lynx never make any kind of agreement, without some kind of contract.

"However." James stated with his eyes closed. His ears picked up on the four breaths hitching in unabashed hope. _Damn them_.

"If I can learn something about literature by attending this club, then perhaps I will consider it a worthwhile venture. Is that agreeable?"

Each of the girls looked up hopefully, happily. _That was a mistake, you incompetent fucking shell of a man_ ; came a whisper from the back of his head.

"Yesss! I'm so happyyy!" Sayori exclaimed, invading his personal space and wrapping her arms around him. Only her longstanding classification as someone completely harmless kept him from disemboweling her where she stood. His eyes looked down at her, narrowing in annoyance. He refused to return her hug.

"You really did scare me for a moment." Yuri smiled calmly.

"If you really just came for the cupcakes, I would be super pissed." Natsuki threatened.

"Then that makes it official!" Monika announces. "Welcome to the Literature Club!"

"…Let go of me." James stated flatly, directed downward. Sayori relented with an awkward smile.

"Okay, everyone!" Monika spoke. "I think with that, we can officially end today's meeting on a good note. Everyone remember tonight's assignment. Write a poem to bring to the next meeting so we can all share!"

"James." Monika paused, turned to the tallest person present. "I look forward to seeing how you express yourself. Ehehe." She giggled quietly.

"…" James still didn't know how to write a poem. He would do his best, but he had no intention of trying to impress anyone.

"Hey, James, since we're already here, do you want to walk home together?" Sayori offered innocently. He was still cross at her for putting her hands on him uninvited.

"…You do what you want." James tried to dismiss her, but she still considered it an invitation.

"Yaay!"

With the club ended for the day, James went home, with Sayori tagging along. Though he would rather forget anything about the people he met that day, he couldn't help but to analyze them, the proximity they shared adding to his knowledge, their feelings leaking out and oozing into his well-trained mind.

Sayori, Natsuki, Yuri, Monika. All of them hiding something, something that ate away at them. It wasn't their shared feelings for him, that they were not even trying to hide. It was like a scream, a scream so loud it could not be heard. It was a scream he knew well, having heard it non-stop for the last four years, since his augmentation made him into a living weapon. Throughout all the slums below the surface, he had heard that scream, seen it in people's dead eyes, their tired gaits, their labored breaths in recycled air.

Now he heard it through four false smiles.

_Their curses are their own. They are not important. Ignore it._

The stronger of his voices demanded. He relented.

* * *

That Evening

With slow methodical movements, his hands guided the miniature manipulation claws, tedious and patient, no room for mistakes.

Protected in a custom-built chamber, a small piece of his custom NEXT was being inspected and repaired. He had a workshop built into his new home, and he spent many hours, day and night, attentively inspecting every component from the powerful machine.

For the most part, he simply viewed what damages had been caused and what lengths he would have to go to find a suitable replacement. It was, extensive.

Finished with his inspection, James stepped away from the protected bench, and sat down at a desk, with files neatly organized and stacked. Finished with his notes, he remembered the task he had been given.

He still did not know how to write a poem, but he had been contract bound to arrive at the club with a poem of some kind to present.

With that in mind he pulled a fresh paper, and with pen in his right hand, listed several important things that were on his mind.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Authors Note: I will admit right out. Chapters 2-6 and 14 very closely follow the plot of Doki Doki. I changed as much as I could due to the unique nature of my main character, but events will still closely follow the game except for when they deviate wildly. But I promise that if you can stick with it through to chapter 8, you will see something new. You will not expect it. I hope you will feel as I did writing it. Thank you for making it this far. Stay tuned for more!


	3. The Worst Poem

Club/Next day

"Hi again, James!" Monika greeted kindly, her hands crossed behind her. "Glad to see you didn't run away on us. Hahaha!"

"I'm contract bound. I always complete my contracts." James responded nonchalantly. Monika cocked her head in confusion but smiled politely.

The other members where already there, socializing. Noticing him there, they came to greet him.

"Thanks for keeping your promise, James." Yuri commented sweetly. "I hope this isn't too overwhelming of a commitment for you. Making you dive headfirst into literature when you're not accustomed to it…"

"Oh, come on! Like he deserves any slack." Natsuki challenged, hands on her hips. "Sayori told me you didn't even want to join any clubs this year. And you didn't even seem all that excited for this one either! I don't know if you plan to just come here and hang out, or what…" She accused. "But if you don't take us seriously, then you won't see the end of it."

"Natsuki, you certainly have a big mouth for someone who keeps her manga collection in the clubroom." Monika interjected in the conversation.

"M-M-M…!" Natsuki struggled with a word that began with 'M', her cheeks turning red and her teeth grit in frustration. "Manga is literature!" She shouted in defense, quickly taking a seat afterwards.

"Don't worry guys." Sayori came forward to comment. "I know James will give his best as long as he's having fun."

James raised an eyebrow at her comment. Firstly, he always did his best. Secondly, he did so regardless if it was fun or not, which it rarely was.

"He is always there when I need help with homework or moving something heavy." Sayori smiled, explaining.

He didn't comment on the fact that she was the one who engineered situations in order to gain his help. She might seem like a sweet yet clumsy girl, but had proven to be deceitful and devious when she wanted. He suspected she was still hiding something, from everyone, even now.

"How dependable…" Yuri said, admiring the thought.

"I tend to help you, Sayori, because your house is usually a fire hazard." He said dryly.

"Is that so...ehehe…" Sayori giggled awkwardly.

"You two are really good friends, aren't you?" Yuri asked curiously.

 _No. Not really_. James and Strayed shared in thought.

"I might be a little jealous…" Yuri said quietly, smiling.

"How come? You and James can become good friends too!" Sayori commented, oblivious to Yuri's intent.

"U-Um…" Fortunately, being put on the spot like that broke Yuri's confidence, as she turned and grabbed at her hair.

"…" James sighed. He wasn't sure if he should be agitated at Sayori for implying that Yuri could have more time with him or thankful that she shut her up.

"Oh, oh! Yuri even brought you something today, you know." Sayori commented excitedly. James rolled his eyes, wondering if he should expect something every day he was in the club.

"W-Wait! Sayori..." Yuri stammered nervously.

"Don't be shy." Sayori encouraged.

"It's really nothing…" Yuri dismissed, still nervous.

"Mhhh." James muttered. His face going through the motions of a shrug. "Well, what is it?" He asked as politely as possible.

"W-Well, here." Yuri reached into her bag, pulling out a book. "I didn't want you to feel left out, so I picked out a book I thought you might enjoy. It's a short read, so it should keep your attention, even if you don't usually read." Yuri explained, more calmly. "And we could, you know…" Yuri suddenly turns from her confidence back to dangerously embarrassed. "Discuss it…if you wanted…"

Hiding his annoyance with a sigh, he nodded and muttered quietly. "…Thank you, I will consider it."

"Phew. You can read it at your own pace. I look forward to hearing what you think." Yuri smiled with a small blush. She moved to sit at a desk close to the wall, away from the window.

James looked around the room. Sayori and Monika were having a discussion in the far front corner. Yuri was already deeply involved in a book, her face looking intense but satisfied. Meanwhile, Natsuki was rummaging around the closet.

He couldn't help but notice that Yuri was reading the same book that she had lent him. Unfortunately, she noticed him noticing and likely misinterpreted what he was noticing, forcing him into another conversation with the quiet and shy girl.

"…I noticed you are reading the same one you lent me." James started, hoping to keep other thoughts at arms length or greater distance.

"Yes. I wanted to re-read some of it." Yuri answered. "Not for any particular reason…!" She then added awkwardly. "But!" Her personality shifted back to confidence. "I promise that once you start to pick it up, you might have a hard time putting it down."

Confusion rattled James again, as the phrase she had just said was lost to time. He did not feel the book to be adhesive; and putting something down was usually much easier than picking it up.

"It's a very engaging and relatable story." Yuri explained. When James didn't respond immediately, she continued. She closed her copy and showed it to him, showing the title as _Portrait of Markov_. There was an eye symbol on the cover, which, while basic, reminded James of _him_. His stepfather. Anatolia's Mercenary. It left a pang of guilt and pain in his hearts, one so deep that Strayed could not purge it from his mind.

"I just wanted to make sure I don't accidentally give anything away. Basically, it's about this girl in high school who moves in with her long-lost sister. But as soon as she does so, her life gets really strange. She gets targeted by these people who escaped from a human experiment prison. And while her life is in danger, she needs to desperately choose who to trust. No matter what she does, she ends up destroying most of her relationships and her life starts to fall apart…"

James couldn't care about the later part of what she said. However, there was some concern over what she had said about "human experiments."

 _She couldn't mean…HumanPLUS? Or even Lynx?_ His thoughts were so disturbed that he decided to investigate further.

"Hehehe…Is that something that sounds interesting to you James?" Yuri asked when he was lost in thought.

With a deceitful smile gracing his features, James replied. "It sounds very interesting. I look forward to it."

"Ah, that's wonderful." Yuri commented. "It's just that those kinds of stories… They challenge you to look at life from a strange new perspective. When horrible things happen not just because someone wants to be evil…but because they have their own goals, or their own philosophy that they believe in. Then suddenly, when you thought you related to the protagonist, they're made out to be the naïve one for letting their one-sided morals interfere with the villain's plans…I'm…I'm rambling, aren't I…?" Yuri suddenly asked, looking worriedly.

 _Yes. Yes you were_.

"Not again…I'm sorry." Yuri turned away.

"…It's fine. I actually wanted to get started on it anyway." James said.

"Y-you don't have to!" Yuri replied nervously.

"Well, I intend to. There is something I wanted to check." Without thinking about his personal space, James sat at the closest desk, the one next to Yuri's.

From their peripheral vision, Strayed could see Natsuki in the closet. She turned when they was sitting down, allowing it to see her blush while reading her lips. "Shit…I wanted to…tsk." Is what it looked like she said. She hugged a book tightly close to her chest before she turned, dejectedly sitting under the window. Her fingers carefully and affectionately tracing her book before opening it to read. Though curious, Strayed turned it's attention back to the book Yuri had lent them. If there really was a description of super-soldiers, then it should be investigated.

"I'm sorry…" Yuri responded. "It's not that I don't want you to! It's just something I'm not very used to… That is, reading in company with someone."

"…Huh." In his experience, he had read many a blueprint and contract next to his operator or his hired engineers. That might have been because of how tight space could be, but also since they had to have trust in each other.

Opening the book, he read with some confusion. There was a vague opening section called "prologue" that explained nothing and was written to try and disturb the reader, except that it just ended up sounding kind of cringy to the mercenary. Then there was the first chapter, which described a regular human female who discovered her relative and decided to live with them…for some fucked reason.

Just like with his schoolwork, he was thankful for his split mind. Even though Strayed held control over what they could and could not do, when they worked together on a project, they could read a book two pages at a time, sharing enough information between them to get the whole picture.

What was a distraction though was Yuri watching them read. Like seriously, what the shit? It was obvious she wasn't reading her own book. Turning in annoyance, he could see she was actually reading from his book.

"S-Sorry! I was just-!" Yuri stammered. "You…uh…read really fast! Is it interesting?"

It had not been interesting. Just some human moving to a new place, meeting some weirder person, and struggling to understand why things happened. As a Lynx trained in Line Ark, James accurately misunderstood some of what was happening. He assumed the main character was simply looked down upon as an outsider, and that bad things happened because of that. He did not catch on to the conspiracy in the books plot even when characters openly talked about it.

"Yes." He lied without giving any more context. He was still looking for the supposed super-soldier program.

Still, having someone look over his shoulder like that was cause for alarm. The only two choices he had was to either tell her to read her own book or invite her to read his at a distance that wasn't suspicious to him.

"If you are going to do that, then it would be better if you came over to read instead of distracting me over there." James told her. Strayed groaned disapprovingly.

"Uh…O-Okay! Sure!" Yuri answered embarrassingly. She slid her desk until it was up against his, where he then held his book so she could see it easier. Yuri leaned in closer, almost touching his shoulder. It would have been easier to hand Yuri one end of the book to turn pages, but neither James nor his demon wanted to let anyone get within shanking range.

After just a few minutes they had finally gotten to the point of the super-soldiers. Except…they were not soldiers. Strayed, cold and analytical, noted they were not designed to fight based on their descriptions. If anything, they had taken people apart and put them back together, inappropriately it might add, seeing as the changes shouldn't work. Except they did. _It just works!_ Strayed yelled in the shared mind disapprovingly. Maybe the explanation to this pseudo-science was in one of those words they didn't know. It was betting it was the word "occult", whatever that meant.

However, James read it differently. Though there was no proper, scientific reason for their creation; the descriptions of their long scars, their exaggerated features, and their violent behavior was extremely familiar. The actions of the main character as well, realizing she had been forced into an impossible position, against the world with no reliable allies; that was a feeling he knew far too well.

He still remembered the day he died as a human and was reborn as a Lynx. The sterile bath… the cutting and carving… inch by agonizing inch. Pulled apart, screaming louder and louder until even his throat was torn apart. Only to wake up from the ordeal, stronger, tougher, integrated with a structural nanocarbon grid, high density metal bones, and a spinal data plug in place of a chunk of his brainstem.

He still remembered the last words of his friends, his allies, his enemies, as they were cut down.

" _White Glint is disabled. He cannot come to your help any longer. I'm sorry."_

_"Energy flow is reversing from the AMS! Aaaaargh!"_

" _I don't believe it, I'm finished. Sorry to trouble you... Lynx. Please, take care of the rest of them."_

_"Please…Have mercy…Lap Dog…"_

" _Hah... so this is the end of the line? I have no regrets. Thanks for the fun times, Malzel!"_

_"This... is my time... No matter. I'm of no use anymore... for mankind's golden age…"_

" _Lynx of Collared. Thermidor here. If you are listening to this message, then I am already dead…"_

" _To treasure a life…is that something to laugh at? Everything is twisted. You. This world. All of it…"_

" _Think about it. The Closed Plan is complete. The League have no more Lynx to send. It's just you and me. We could shape this world in our image. Wouldn't you like that James...James?...!"_

The book in his hands shut violently. Yuri retreated in her seat, away from James. Monika and Sayori turned in concern. Natsuki flinched hard, subconsciously. The book fell from his hands and he rose quickly from the seat. His eyes still glued to the book, a hateful scowl on his face. His teeth grit painfully.

"I can't. I don't want-I won't…remember…something like that."

He turned quickly, stumbling for a moment, a fist drove into a desk, not shattering it to his surprise. He stood again and made for the door. His hand grasped at his chest painfully.

**/INTERNAL WARNING: CUMULATIVE HEART RATE: 1800 BPM**

Those words appeared inside of his eyes, red and flashing. Too fast. He needed to calm down. But that memory, how do you calm down from that? He reached the door and raised his hands to tear it asunder.

 _Calm down_.

He opened the door quickly but otherwise normally. In the hall he stumbled over to the window, supporting himself on the windowsill. He raised a fist to smash the glass before him.

 _Calm down_.

His fist settled back onto the sill. Deep, labored breaths, slowing in frequency. The deafening ringing in his ears subsided. His right hand came up and covered an eye. It was bad enough, watching the world burn, his allies dying one by one till he stood alone. What he did…

_Just forget about it._

A final deep sigh, and his breathing was back under control. _Thanks…Strayed_. He thought. Looking up at his own reflection, it looked back disapprovingly with arms crossed. His reflection closed its dark eyes and looked away.

_It's what I was made to do. Don't thank me for that._

"Umm… James?" Sayori called out from a few feet away. He turned to look at her with one eye, the other still covered. She looked uncertain, apprehensive.

"Yeah?" James replied uninterested.

"Are you…alright?" She asked, approaching cautiously.

"…Sure. I'm fine." James looked down at the floor.

"What happened?" She asked, walking closer and putting a comforting hand on his shoulder. He fought the urge to slap it away.

"I don't want to talk about it." He stated calmly. Sayori squeezed his shoulder and walked back to the classroom.

He heard another set of feet approach him. Judging by the nervous sound of the gait, it was Yuri.

"I…w-wanted to apologize." Yuri stuttered out. "I understand if y-you never want speak to me again. I'm so s-sorry for upsetting you." She turned in shame, not meeting his eyes.

While it was true that her book had brought about his current state of distress, it was unintentional, and Yuri owed no apology.

"It's fine. No apology necessary." James informed her. Yuri looked at him, nervously but intently. "The book just…reminded me of a very tough time in my life, one I would rather forget." James informed her.

"Are…you saying…?" Yuri inquired slowly.

"I'm saying that it's fine. You are fine. I just don't think I'll read that book again any time soon." James looked at her with little interest, his eye looking more tired.

"I see… I'm glad then at least…that we can still be friends." Yuri smiled sadly. James nodded, more to dismiss her than to affirm her statement.

Yuri turned to leave, and Monika approached next, looking sad, yet considerably stern.

"I'm…sorry…that you had a bad reaction to whatever it was you were reading." Monika stated sincerely, but seriously. She closed her eyes.

"However…" She continued. "As Club President…it is my duty to ensure the happiness and safety of all my club members. I would ask that you please refrain from any more outburst or…I'll have to ask you to leave the club."

That was surprising to hear. Strayed gave her an honest smile, content to know she placed her position as important above her baser desires.

"I understand. I will refrain from any uncontrolled behavior while attending this club."

Monika gave a small smile, nodding her approval before walking back to the classroom.

Not hearing anyone approach, James went back to getting himself back under control. It was still hard to believe that the thirteen of them, the center force of the ORCA Brigade, had been reduced to a single man. Truly, Fanchon was a woman to be feared.

Shortly, he realized he was not quite alone in the hallway. He turned back to the classroom, to see Natsuki standing there, knees locked and arms folded protectively over a book, held to her chest. He uncovered his eye and looked at her curiously.

"Umm…" Natsuki walked towards him, somewhat nervously. "So…you didn't like Yuri's book?"

"…No. It brought back too many bad memories." He replied.

"Well. If you like you could try this one." She presented the book in her arms, holding it for him to see. "Not that I care or anything…" She shouted sternly, "…but, you shouldn't just spend the rest of the club moping out here alone." This she stated with a softer kindness.

With the book before him, James was rewarded with more questions regarding the title of _'Parfait Girls'_.

"…What is a 'Parfait'?" He asked honestly.

"Eh? Oh. It's like an ice cream snack." Natsuki smiled confidently.

"I see. Then this is a book about girls made out of this 'ice cream'?" He asked for clarification.

"What! No! Psss. HAHA!" Natsuki laughed at him. "Oh man you got me there. No, its about a group of friends who make and have Parfait snacks together."

"Huh." James muttered. "Alright."

"Eh? You are seriously interested?" Natsuki asked, a little surprised.

"…I wouldn't know to be honest. But you seem eager to share it so I do not mind looking into it." James shrugged encouragingly.

"O-Okay then. Let's go back to the class to read." Natsuki led the way back inside.

Following passively, James raised an eyebrow when she went back to her window near the closet and sat beneath it.

"Well? What are you waiting for?" Natsuki asked looking up hopefully.

James just rolled his eyes and propped himself down beside her. She passed him the book and he appraised the cover. It featured four girls in colorful attire, striking animated feminine poses.

… _Huh._

The irony was not lost on James or Strayed. Opening the book, James was immediately surprised to see drawn pictures of girls talking to each other with words placed randomly on the page.

"Uhhhh…Natsuki?" James moaned out in confusion, "How do you read this?"

"Mhh? It's easy, here I'll show you. Start in the far-right corner with the picture there and read all the words in it. Then move left to the next picture and do so again. Then, go down to the next row of pictures." She pointed over his shoulder while explaining, sounding very eager.

Even as he started to read it properly, as Strayed gave no notice it was going to help. He could feel Natsuki inch a little closer to him. With a sigh he continued.

The plot was…without notice. Nothing made any sense or interested him. On the plus side he had no memories resurfacing from reading this. It followed the four girls as they baked and gossiped and fawned over boys through their time in high school. Absolutely forgettable and beneath his concern. Still he continued to read, feeling obligated to do so.

Glancing to his side, he couldn't help but notice things about Natsuki while she was sitting there, knees to her chest. Both of them noticed. She was a very small girl, standing normally at four feet, eleven inches. The way the skin hung to her cheek bones and her slim legs. Both her height and her skinniness were defining traits of children from his slums, malnourished beggars or pickpockets he saw often underground. It was definitely not her hormones, as those smelled the same as Sayori or even Monika, suggesting she should have been at least a few inches taller.

They couldn't help but notice the texture of her pale skin either. Not when it was periodically broken up by thick splotches of skin-colored make-up. On her cheeks, around her eyes, on her neck, arms and legs. What purpose could those random splotches serve?

"…What are you looking at?!" Natsuki accused, holding herself tighter.

"I could ask you the same thing." James replied flatly. Unlike Yuri, who wanted to read over his shoulder, Natsuki seemed to have been searching his face extensively for a reaction to her manga.

"Tsk!" Natsuki cringed defensively. "I was just! …Making sure you were enjoying it was all!"

"Hmmm." James hummed in thought, eyes closed. "I can't say I understand the reasons for different events, or that I care about that…"

Natsuki looked hurt, her eyes watering up a little while her hands culled into fist.

"…But I think I am interested; I wouldn't know why. It's just so…different."

She calmed down considerably, looking at him hopefully. "What do you mean?" She asked quietly.

"I feel like I am learning something about…something I forgot about long ago." James answered with a sigh.

Natsuki looked at him thoughtfully, though a page turn later she started laughing.

"Ahahaha! I totally forgot that happens!" She shouted gleefully. Pointing to one of the panels, she explained. "Minori is my favorite character. You always feel a little bad for her, since she's so unlucky."

Taking another look at the character she pointed out, James saw that 'Minori' was the smallest girl in her group. Small ribbons were tied to twin ponytails, each of which ended just above her ears. A hair clip pulled a strand of hair over her forehead, covering her right eyebrow. He looked back at Natsuki, seeing the exact same hair style.

… _Huh._

Yes. Definitely her favorite character.

"But it gets especially bad when…" Natsuki was enthusiastically explaining before pausing. "Uhhh… I shouldn't be talking about that yet! Just finish this chapter!"

Natsuki seemed to find great enjoyment in sharing her favorite reading material. If he recalled correctly, Yuri had criticized it and Monika tolerated it; and if Sayori had liked it she would have shoved it in his face months ago, so Natsuki probably didn't get much chance to express her interest to others. For James, he found neither enjoyment or boredom from the material in his hands; and unlike with Yuri's book, this one did not remind him of the everyday revulsion of living in the twenty-fifth century.

There was some damning power in these girls when they had an honest smile. He'd seen many hollow smiles on the faces of civilians, deceptive smiles of corporate elites, ravenous and gluttonous smiles from his own kind. An honest smile disarmed him, set him at ease.

A forgotten part longed for that feeling, to stop looking at everyone and everything as enemy and ally, tool and asset. It made him want to stop looking at someone and imagining how he should strike them in order to kill as quickly as possible.

Natsuki could have an honest smile. He wanted to see it more often.

"Okay, everyone!" Monika called to attention. "Are you all ready with today's poems?"

"…Oh come on! Could your timing be any worse?" Natsuki shouted.

"Sorry! I just need to make sure we have enough time." Monika apologized sweetly, leaning in a playful manner. "Though you do look pretty cozy over there, Ahaha!"

"Eh…? A-ah!" Having noticed how close she was to the tall boy, Natsuki suddenly scooted over at least a foot. James noted the page he was on and closed the book, handing it back to its owner.

"You're just giving it back…? Don't you want to know what happens?" Natsuki asked hurtfully.

"…Certainly, however, the book is not mine." James answered flatly.

"Don't be dumb. Just take it home with you." Natsuki suggested, though she couldn't meet his eyes, and spoke quietly.

James slowly retracted his hand, eyeing the book curiously. Turning back to Natsuki, he stated confidently. "I will keep it in good condition."

"Just finish it tonight so we can start the next one tomorrow. And if it gets bent, I'll kill you." Natsuki threatened.

James eyebrow rose incredulously. It was extremely unlikely she would succeed should she try. He turned and put the book with his things.

"By the way, did you remember to write a poem last night?" Monika questioned.

"…Yes, though I'm not sure if I understand the difference between a poem and other forms of writing."

"Hehehe." Monika giggled. "I'm sure you did fine." She waved dismissively, with certainty. "Well, now that everyone's ready, why don't you find someone to share with?"

"I can't wait!" Sayori exclaimed enthusiastically.

Everyone retrieved their poems, Natsuki and Yuri doing so reluctantly. Having known Sayori the longest, James turned to her to share first.

"Here, read this first please." Sayori eagerly handed him the poem she had written.

_**Dear Sunshine** _

_The way you glow through my blinds in the morning  
It makes me feel like you missed me.  
Kissing my forehead to help me out of bed.  
Making me rub the sleepy from my eyes._

_Are you asking me to come out and play?  
Are you trusting me to wish away a rainy day?  
I look above. The sky is blue.  
It's a secret, but I trust you too._

_If it wasn't for you, I could sleep forever.  
But I'm not mad._

_I want breakfast._

"…" James might not have known anything about poems, but he could recognize rushed work regardless of its medium.

"You wrote this this morning shortly after waking up."

"No!" Sayori defended, slightly embarrassed. "J-Just a little bit!"

James raised an eyebrow and frowned.

"I-I forgot to do it last night…" She admitted, her fingers touching each other while she looked away.

James shrugged and looked back at her poem. "Well. I've certainly never read a sunrise described in this manner. Its…different. I like that."

"Really?" Sayori looked brightened.

"Yes."

"Haha, okay, now let me read yours." Sayori eagerly took James's poem, bouncing with excitement as she did so. Her anticipation slowed, coming to a complete halt as she read line after line. Her smile faded and her head cocked in confusion.

"You umm." Sayori smiled nervously. "You were not kidding when you said you didn't understand poems. Not that's its bad or anything! But…" Despite her attempts to be polite, she had no compliments for the utter garbage attempt at a poem she had read. "Uuuhhhh. Just keep practicing?" She smiled uncertainly, handing the paper back.

Nodding to her, James turned to Natsuki to accept her poem.

"Here, this should be easy enough for you. But don't be surprised if you hate it." Natsuki remarked as she handed her work over.

_**Eagles Can Fly** _

_Monkeys can climb  
Crickets can leap  
Horses can race  
Owls can seek  
Cheetahs can run  
Eagles can fly  
People can try  
But that's about it_

It turned out it was not easy enough. After a very quick read through James turned to Natsuki.

"I do not understand these words." He said, pointing to the first word of the title and the first words of the first six lines.

"…Are you serious?" Natsuki asked, beyond disbelief.

"Yes." James answered, mildly impatient.

"…Wow. Okay. So those words are animals. They uhh…do those things." Natsuki explained uncertainly. "You seriously don't know the words for those animals?"

James turned to her seriously. "There are…very few animals in my homeland." The actual answer was they were all extinct, but that would have been hard to explain.

"Huh. Well, does it make sense now?" Natsuki asked in true curiosity.

"Yes. It is simple but very much to the point." James commented.

"Do you…like it?"

Taking a moment to answer, James decided. "Yes."

"Just be honest!" Natsuki accused. James turned, slightly offended by the provocation.

"I am. It gets right to the point and tells something simple yet true. The words I didn't know are…my own fault, but it was otherwise very enjoyable once I understood it." James explained.

"Hmm. Alright. Now, let me see your poem." Natsuki offered. She had a small smile on her face when she started. It quickly dropped in confusion at what she was reading.

"Ehehehe. I thought you might be terrible, but this is… oh man." She faked laughed, grimacing at the work in her hands. "Uh… maybe you should try writing about your feelings instead of…whatever this was." She offered his poem back, her teeth grit in an uncomfortable smile.

"I see." He accepted his poem back. Next, he turned to Yuri.

"Here, please read this. I'd love to share my thought process behind it." Yuri smiled warmly, handing over her poem.

_**Ghost under the light** _

_The tendrils of my hair illuminate beneath the amber glow.  
Bathing.  
It must be this one.  
The last remaining streetlight to have withstood the test of time.  
The last yet to be replaced by the sickening blue-green of the future.  
I bathe. Calm; breathing air of the present but living in the past.  
The light flickers.  
I flicker back._

It took a moment for James to actually start reading. Yuri's writing style was extremely stylized. It was only though extremely well-educated guesswork that he was able to finish it.

"I-I'm sorry I have such terrible handwriting!" Yuri nervously explained.

"I did have difficulty reading it, but I quickly figured out the style." James dismissed. "The poem itself was alright."

"Eh? Then you didn't like it?" Yuri asked sadly.

"No, but I am having difficulty with the meaning."

"Oh, I see." Yuri said, looking away a moment. "In this poem, the subject is metaphorically like a ghost, lingering in her last remaining place of comfort, unable to let go of the past, and soon to be left with nothing."

James just nodded along with her, trying to not associate with what Yuri had just said. It was just a bit too similar. In the silence that followed his refusal to reply, Yuri spoke again.

"Here, let me see your poem now." She offered. The contented smile she wore quickly faded in just moments. A look of puzzled disappointment remained.

"…Uh. Oh! S-Sorry!" Yuri exclaimed with a nervous disposition. "I forgot to start speaking…um." She looked back to the work in her hand, uncertain on how to begin discussing it.

"I-It!...Err…Well…Hm…" Yuri tried several times. Each time, her face twisted with greater confusion. "This is…your first attempt at a poem?"

James simply nodded.

"Well…!" Yuri tried again but couldn't. Normally, she was a very tough critic, however, the work before her was so beyond comprehension she didn't know where to begin.

"I would have to say…" Yuri forced herself to give an answer, any that she could. "…That you should keep trying. You will hopefully find a style that works!"

James took her advice and his poem back, turning finally to Monika.

"Hi, James!" Monika greeted eagerly. "Having a good time so far?"

"…I would be willing to return to this, yes." James answered.

"Good! Glad to hear it! By the way, since you're new and everything, if you ever have any suggestions for the club, like new activities, or things we can do better, I'm always listening!" Monika informed. "Don't be afraid to bring things up, okay?"

"Yes Club President, I will!" James exclaimed, unintentionally slipping back to a command structure.

"Haha! Good!" Monika was momentarily taken aback by what she assumed was enthusiasm, but rolled with it. "Here, want to read my poem?" She asked handing over her work.

_**Hole in Wall** _

_It couldn't have been me.  
See, the direction the spackle protrudes.  
A noisy neighbor? An angry boyfriend? I'll never know. I wasn't home.  
I peer inside for a clue.  
No! I can't see. I reel, blind, like a film left out in the sun.  
But it's too late. My retinas.  
Already scorched with a permanent copy of the meaningless image.  
It's just a little hole. It wasn't too bright.  
It was too deep.  
Stretching forever into everything.  
A hole of infinite choices.  
I realize now, that I wasn't looking in.  
I was looking out.  
And he, on the other side, was looking in._

It was interesting, certainly. That much James knew.

"So, what do you think?" Monika inquired.

"It's good. Very thought provoking." James answered.

"Thank you." Monika sweetly replied. "This kind of free-form style is pretty popular nowadays. That is, a lot of poems have been putting emphasis on the timing between words and lines. When preformed out loud, it can be really powerful."

James nodded, understanding a bit.

"I wrote this cause I was sort of inspired by an epiphany recently. It's been influencing my poems a bit." Monika explained.

"Ah." James replied in understanding. He had also once had an epiphany. Because of that, he was now the single greatest killer to have ever lived.

"Well, don't keep me waiting! I'm excited to see your poem!" Monika exclaimed, taking the poem from his hands. It only took a few moments for her usually cheery and inspired look to fade to one of frustration and disappointment.

"This is…" She muttered quietly. "…Ah geez. You weren't kidding when you said you didn't understand poetry." She smiled sadly.

"Hmm. Okay, I don't mean to put you on the spot, but do you mind if we talk about your poem…as a group?" Monika suggested politely.

"…If you would like, then sure." James agreed.

"Alright, take a seat here then." She pulled out the chair on the teacher's desk, letting James sink into it.

"Okay, girls!" Monika called out, getting everyone's attention. "I'm sure by now you have all had a chance to read James's…work." In return she got three uncomfortable nods.

"Alright. Well, lets talk about it then. Hopefully we can help him improve." The four of them took the front-most desk, but not before putting their own poems before him, at Monika's direction, so he would have material to compare his too.

"Okay, so, thoughts?" Monika asked.

"He…he at least tried to put something on paper." Sayori called out.

"Yeah, but he also said he didn't understand poems. Hell, he even asked me about the word 'poem.'" Natsuki added.

"Yes. We should have taken him more seriously when he said that." Yuri replied.

"James. What were you thinking about when you wrote that?" Monika asked him.

"Well, I had just finished some work for the night, when I decided to write what I was thinking about." James answered.

"Okay. Perhaps that is our fault for forcing you to do something you've never done before. But look at our work and then at yours, and tell us what is different." Monika requested.

James looked at the girl's poems. Sayori wrote about how she felt waking up. Natsuki wrote metaphorically about a hardship of some kind. Yuri wrote with a nostalgic feeling. Lastly, Monika wrote about metaphysical understanding.

Then there was his 'poem.'

**Review of Replacement Part Testing 034**

Microscopic analysis of replacement heatsink units has revealed discrepancies in the nanocarbon lattice as large as 0.8 nanometers. This is 0.4 nanometers too large. In testing, these discrepancies do not correctly redistribute heat, instead spreading it out across the structure. Calculated heat build-up across the unit is 514 Kelvin too high. This is outside the operating range of several components, most notably the gyroscopic stabilizers. Heating of the stabilizers causes them to either report false orientation or to stick in position, either of which would lead to the unit collapsing. Additionally, the additional heat lowers the operational lifespan of hydraulic superfluid by 50 hours, and the lifespan of the hydraulic cables by 210 hours.

Infrared sensor equipment would also be rendered inoperable, due to being essentially blinded by the unit itself. Lastly, the increase in heat negatively affects KP production at a rate of 24% per minute. It is therefore recommended that facilities be upgraded to consistently produce the insulating nanocarbon structures with discrepancies kept below 0.4 nanometers to prevent such a waste of resources and equipment.

…

Having seen relatively normal works of poetry, James began to understand that he had done something slightly wrong.

"I wrote about my thoughts about work, and not anything that I felt." He spoke to the girls.

"Alright. Good. That is a step in the right direction." Monika smiled.

"Hopefully your next poem will be better than mine!" Sayori encouraged.

"If you write something even a little thoughtful, that would be interesting." Natsuki commented.

"I really look forward to seeing you try something new James." Yuri smiled to herself.

 _Oh yeah, I almost forgot about that._ Strayed added despondently. The four of them were expecting James to write about them in mind. _I don't know about this poem writing business, but we will do our best without stooping to the expectations of these hormone driven teenagers._ James silently agreed.

"Alright, now that that's out of the way, you guys talk for a bit. Me and my vice-president have some planning to do." Monika informed her members.

Turning to Natsuki and Yuri, James saw them reluctantly sharing poems with each other. Apparently, in their rush to show James their poems they had neglected each other. Natsuki's eyebrows furrowed in frustration while Yuri smiled sadly.

"What's with this language…?" Natsuki whispered quietly to herself.

"Eh?" Not quietly enough it seemed, as Yuri raised to question. "Um…did you say something?"

"Oh, it's nothing." Natsuki dismissively returned the poem. "I guess you could say it's fancy."

"Ah…Thanks…" Yuri accepted with passive interest. "Yours is…cute…"

"Cute?" Natsuki aggressively questioned. "Did you completely miss the symbolism or something? It's clearly about the feeling of giving up. How can that be cute?"

"I-I know that!" Yuri defended awkwardly. "I just meant… The language, I guess…I was trying to say something nice…"

"Eh? You mean you have to try that hard to come up with something nice to say?" Natsuki accused. "Thanks, but it really didn't come out nice at all!"

"Um…Well, I do have a couple suggestions…" Yuri smugly thought.

"Hmph. If I was looking for suggestions, I would have asked someone who actually liked it. Which people _did_ , by the way." Natsuki explained in frustration. "Sayori liked it. And James did too! So based on that, I'll gladly give you some suggestions of my own." She said in a standoffish attitude. "First of all…"

"Excuse me…" Yuri interrupted, looking unusually composed. "I appreciate the offer, but I've spent a long time establishing my writing style. I don't expect it to change anytime soon, unless of course I come across something particularly inspiring." She stated with lightly laced malice. "Which I haven't yet."

"Nn…!" Natsuki fumed, fist closed, and teeth clenched. James noticed how her arms and back stressed, that she was perhaps subconsciously trying to make herself larger.

"And James liked my poem too, you know." Yuri informed her, arrogant and snarky. James himself did not recall saying as much. Though it was interesting, Natsuki's poem had been easier to follow.

"Oh?" Natsuki stood up, her expression changing. "I didn't realize you were so invested in trying to impress our new member, Yuri."

"E-Eh?!" Yuri's pride suddenly broke, as she looked up with wide eyes. "That's not what I…! Uu…" Yuri mumbled incoherently. "You.. You're just…" She stood up as well. "Maybe you're just jealous that James was more impressed with my poem than he was with yours!"

"Huh! And how do you know he didn't find my poem more interesting!" Natsuki defended. "Are you that full of yourself?"

"I..No. If I was full of myself…I would deliberately go out of my way to make everything I do overtly cutesy!" Yuri accused.

"Uuuuu…!" Natsuki cringed in embarrassment.

"U-Um!" Sayori awkwardly interjected. "Is everyone okay…?" However, the argument continued.

"Well, you know what?!" Natsuki all but shouted. "I wasn't the one whose boobs magically grew a size bigger as soon as James started showing up!"

For once, James almost wished he had been looking at those, if only to confirm Natsuki's statement. Maybe Strayed had been paying attention…

 _Nope_.

 _Oh?_ James thought in reply.

_You seriously thought I've been checking out girls? We're a Lynx. We kill and try not to think about it._

_I suppose you are right_. James responded to his split.

 _But while we are on the subject, Yuri has a knife_.

 _…What_?

_Looks like a kitchen variety type. Carefully hidden within her blazer. Harmless to us, but I just noticed._

_How did you know to look for it?_

_Don't think about it._

_Fine. Fine._ James relented.

"N-Natsuki!" Yuri embarrassingly covered her chest with her arms.

"Um, Natsuki, that's a little…" Monika tried to disrupt them.

"This doesn't involve you!" Natsuki and Yuri shout together.

"I-I don't like fighting, guys…!" Sayori cried out.

Suddenly, both arguing girls turned to James.

_Oh what fucking now…_

"James…!" Yuri shouted. "She's…She's just trying to make me look bad…!"

"That's not true!" Natsuki defended. "She started it! If she could get over herself and learn to appreciate that _simple_ writing is more effective…Then this wouldn't have happened in the first place! What's the point in making your poems all convoluted for no reason? The meaning should jump out at the reader, not force them to have to figure it out. Help me explain that to her, James!" She demanded fiercely.

"W-Wait!" Yuri explained. "There's a reason we have so many deep and expressive words in our language!" Yuri composed herself as she spoke, growing in confidence with every word. "It's the only way to convey complex feelings and meaning most effectively. Avoiding them is not only unnecessarily limiting yourself…it's also a waste! You understand that, right, James?"

"…"

"Well?" They asked together.

" _Silence_." Strayed commanded.

Natsuki and Yuri recoiled, having never heard that tone before. Even Monika and Sayori tensed from across the room. James, forced by his better half to take a back seat, could only watch as the warring personality strode over the two cowering girls. He could only hope that there would be survivors.

Strayed's hard, cold, unblinking eyes bore into the two girls.

" _Both of you, bickering and jabbing and accusing. Back and forth back and forth. All for the value of a few words on paper_." It's voice demanded attention, serious and calm, yet every word was spoken with absolute precision.

" _Your petty arguments grow tiresome. You fail to find faults in each other's work, so you attack each other's qualities."_

" _You_." Strayed turned on Yuri, invading her personal space.

"Ah!" Yuri shouted briefly but silenced as she was forced to see foreboding eyes, eyeing her soul hungerly.

" _You are prideful, arrogant in your belief that the length of your written words increases your value as a person. Yet you falter at the slightest confrontation_."

Yuri nodded furiously, collapsing into a desk if only to create some distance.

" _And you_." Strayed turned on Natsuki, who flinched and ducked her head. The quiet violence in those few words struck deep, rivaling even the terror she faced daily.

" _You have a passion and a fury I can respect…However, you waste it at every opportunity. You do not choose your battles. You seek them. A foolish endeavor that will exhaust you long before you find any solace in it_." Though sounding as a threat, there was a true compliment hidden in the intent.

Strayed backed up, addressing both girls again. " _I do not care for your disagreements; I refuse to partake in them. However, if either of you try and force me into a discussion of pure argument and spite, I will show you that_ _actions_ _speak louder than words."_

Just like that, Strayed released it's control. James took over and collapsed into a nearby desk. He rubbed is eyes with both hands.

 _Well…shit…_ James thought.

While he was glad Strayed hadn't decided to take someone's life out of spite, that still left him with four scared little girls to attend to. He'd have to make up some kind of lie, based on half-truths.

"…I…came to this country." James began, eyes still closed. "Because I was tired of fighting. Tired of the yelling and screaming and all. The. Fighting." He uncovered his face, having changed his eyes from Strayed's cold and dispassionate glare to one that was exhausted, drained, and lifeless. It seemed to have the desired effect as Natsuki and Yuri had turned to him, looking sad but intently and, perhaps, a little bit ashamed.

"You'll have to forgive me if I come across as cruel or rude. I just want to forget so much."

"Ohhh! James! That's so sad!" He heard Sayori cry and wrap her arms around his neck. Ignoring that, his lie seemed to work. His complexion and story helped give the impression that he was from some random, war-torn Middle Eastern nation, which seemed to be true no matter the century. Even in his own time, the corporation Algebra kept sponsoring violent and cruel Lynx. Something about a lost culture or dead religion.

"I-I'm sorry I get so angry. I just…want to be taken seriously." Natsuki solemnly apologized to Yuri.

"I'm sorry I talk down to you. I'm just very proud of my work." Yuri returned to her.

A moment of silence passed before Monika spoke up.

"Well, now that we're past that… Everyone's read each other's poems, right? I hope that it was worthwhile for everyone! Especially you, James!" Monika suddenly turned sweetly as she said that. "And to be honest, it's a nice change of pace from the lazing around we got a little too used to. Ahahaha!"

"…" He looked at her uncomfortably.

"There's still time before we go home. So, we'll all relax for a bit. Of course, besides chatting we do literature -related things in the clubroom. So maybe you can take the chance to pick up a book, or do some writing. After all, that's what the club is for!"

"I disagree, Monika!" Sayori shouted unexpectedly.

"Eh? About what?" Monika questioned, legitimately confused.

"That's not the most important thing about the literature club! The most important thing is having fun!" Sayori happily exclaimed.

"Ahaha, of course…" Monika instantly agreed. "Well, I guess that's why you're the Vice President, Sayori."

"Ehehe…" Sayori giggled.

While the girls paired up and talked, James sat in contemplation. It had been a very long day at the club, but it had proven somewhat entertaining. He would have to do this again. Several minutes passed before Monika made another announcement.

"Okay, everyone! It's just about time for us to leave. How did you all feel about sharing poems?"

"It was a lot of fun!" Sayori shouted excitedly.

"Well, I'd say it was worth it." Yuri calmly remarked.

"It was alright. Well. Mostly." Natsuki answered, a little red in the face.

"James? How about you?" Monika questioned him.

"I felt like I learnt something, so it was profitable." James explained his feelings.

"In that case, we'll do the same thing tomorrow. And hopefully everyone learned something too, so your poems will turn out even better!"

…

"James, ready to walk home?" Sayori eagerly asked.

"…Wait. Again?" James asked in mild disbelief.

"Of course, silly! We are neighbors after all! Ehehehe!" Sayori beamed in anticipation.

"…Fine." James relented reluctantly.

* * *

The walk home was done in blissful silence.

"Hey James?"

Or, it had been.

Tiredly, James mumbled a response back to Sayori.

"Hmm?"

"You know, it's really nice that I get to spend time with you in the club. But I think seeing you get along with everyone is what makes me the happiest."

James turned to regard her, a small part deep inside turning cold. She wore a dishonest smile. He'd often saw this smile on her, when she was alone, when she thought no one was looking, when she said something just a little odd.

Sayori had a wonderful smile when it was honest. It was sweet and strange and nothing he had ever seen until he was displaced to this time. Her dishonest smile always brought him back, back to a world of cold sand and flooded ruins. A world of death and pain. He really hated that smile.

"And I think everyone really likes you, too!"

Yes. He was painfully aware of that. His expression turned uncomfortable and she noticed.

"Ehehe! Every day is going to be so much fun!" Sayori gleefully cheered. Her honest smile returning.

 _Strange, strange child_. James sighed. His hand reached over and he ran his fingers through her hair on the top of her head.

"Hmm! Mmm!" Sayori squeaked happily, her eyes shut, as she pushed back into the pressure on her head.

_Never change, strange child._

* * *

That Evening

It was becoming clear to him that fully repairing an Armored Core NEXT with technology over four hundred years too old was practically impossible. At best he could probably do was repair parts to work with much more limited operational cycles and with minimal efficiency.

In leu of this, he began another project with better possibilities. Reverse Engineered AC tech. Though the technology on a NEXT was enigmatic for this century, the concepts were sound. He was uncertain what to start first, the company to support such endeavors or the prototypes themselves.

In either case he remembered to put time aside for reading the book Natsuki had lent him. It was an odd work. Things happened for reasons he could not understand, and he was uncertain if it was because he was truly ignorant or if the story exaggerated the character's emotions and reactions.

In any event, he finished the story. It wrapped up a minor plot and all four characters cheered happily with each other. A ghost of a smile threatened to sneak onto his face.

His first obligation completed, he moved onto his second. Now knowing he should not write about his work or advanced technology; James moved his pen to his left hand. With paper before him, he began putting thoughts to ink.

…

He was uncertain what he had just written, but it felt…right. Especially those last two words.

Two words. Two words on paper. Two words that brought him back to the one place that changed everything. Two words that hitched his breath and meant so much. Two words, that had only one answer.

_I forgive you…_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Authors Note: This is where you start seeing some of the technobabble related to Armored Core really come into play. I try to be consistent with it throughout the story.


	4. A Call

After School/Next day

A bell signaled for students to leave their classrooms. James ducked under the door as he left his class, on route to his locker.

"Hey, there he is!" Whispered a voice from the crowd.

"Let's get that tall fucker!" Responded another.

… _Really?_

James heard this, knowing the voices were talking about him. In a moment he felt hands on his back, trying to push him over. He had been prepared for it, bracing his leg and pushing back against the force. To anyone watching, it looked like two boys pushed themselves over backwards after making contact with the foreigner. James kept walking without breaking his stride.

The only thing James missed about his own time, was that no one who wasn't suicidal fucked with a Lynx. He'd have executed those boys otherwise and been in the clear to do so.

Reaching his locker, he set about putting his things away. A textbook bounced off his head, absolutely beneath his notice. His skull was rated to resist fifty caliber HMG rounds. A book wasn't a worry.

What was a worry was the quickened gait of small feet rushing towards him from the other end of the hall. _Oh not now…_

"Are you alright James!" Sayori's worried voice reached up to him as she grabbed his arm and placed her other hand on his back. Perturbed at her attempt at comfort, James braced against his locker and sighed loudly.

"…I'm perfectly fine." James attempted to reassure her.

Unfortunately, Sayori making him uncomfortable only assured her that something was wrong. When he had finished in his locker, she guided him along carefully.

"Let's get you to a nurse to look at your head." Sayori suggested. That turned his blood cold. He had been purposely trying to avoid the medical units of this time, seeing as they would notice his augmentations first and raise a serious question to his Kevlar tough skin, metal bones, or multiple pulses.

He thought the gym teacher was going to have a stroke when he passed all physical fitness courses _while breaking multiple world records_. He had to bribe the man to ensure his silence. He couldn't imagine what a nurse or doctor might do when they found his spinal data plug.

"NO!" He shouted. "I have…bad memories with doctors." A true statement, but not his concern. "Let's just get to the club, I'll sit down and be fine, I promise."

Sayori looked up to him, worry graced in her features. She could only squeeze his arm harder and continued walking with him. He could hear the laughs, the sneers, the threats of violence in the air around them. It was enough to allow her to hang on, as from this distance he would be close enough to defend her. He had already lost his allies before, he would not repeat that dishonor.

Closing on the club, with the hallways cleared, he finally forced his freedom.

"Sayori, really…" He stated quietly, pulling Sayori's hands off him. "…I'm fine. I'm not even hurt."

"I just…" Sayori looked up longingly, sadly. "I really worry about you. I know you get picked on because you look different. I would be so sad if you got hurt…or worse…" She whispered solemnly, eyes watering uncontrollably.

With a heavy sigh, James put his hands on her shoulders. "I'll be fine. My homeland was much crueler and unforgiving. This place is leagues safer. I can take care of myself."

Sayori blushed and smiled, nodding. _Ah…oops_. James thought. _That's not what I wanted to do at all_.

"Come on, lets not keep the club waiting." James encouraged, leading the way into the room.

"…By the way James…" Sayori called from behind as he entered the club. Looking back, she had a guilty sweet look to her. "…I'm kinda hungry. Will you come with me to buy a snack?" She pleaded sweetly.

"No."

"Eh? T-That's really mean of you!" Sayori cried out.

"Sayori." James called out sternly. "Open your purse."

"Eh?" Sayori looked awkwardly guilty now. "Why that…all of a sudden?"

"…Open it." He commanded, polite as he could.

Sayori nervously took out her purse, fumbling with the latch. Turning it over on a desk, 15 Yen in coins fell out.

"Ahahah…" Sayori laughed nervously, her fingers pressed together and her eyes struggling to maintain contact.

"Mmmm." He sighed loudly. Sayori often troubled him for pocket change, enough for a snack or light meal. Since the amounts dipped so low in his expenses and she tried to pay him back when she could be bothered to remember, he would lend her the money. He would do so again, and was already reaching to do so, but had simply been offended that she couldn't be more honest about her intentions.

An object in the air caught his eye. Brown, circular. Trajectory and velocity put it on course with Sayori's forehead in about 0.384 seconds. With calm focus and absolute precision, he plucked it out of the air, holding it still.

"Wha…Eh! A cookie!" Sayori shouted eagerly, grabbing it from his hand, unwrapping it and shoving it in her mouth.

"…" James's eye twitched uncomfortably, in confusion. Fortunately, someone came to explain and possibly save his sanity.

"Hehe, nice catch." Natsuki came into the room. "I was just going to give it to you, but I thought I might surprise you." She said to Sayori. "It was totally worth seeing your reaction."

"Natsuki! That's so nice of you!" Sayori shouted. "I'm so happy!" She hugged the cookie. Taking another bite, she muttered, "Sho good…Mmf!" She covered her mouth, looking physically hurt. "I bit my tongue!" She cried out.

"Eheh. You're going though a lot over just one cookie." Natsuki commented, taking a bite from a cookie she had.

"Ah, yours looks really good too, Natsuki!" Sayori shouted eagerly, greedily. "Can I try it?"

"Jeez… Beggars can't be choosers!"

"But yours is chocolate…" Sayori complained.

"Yeah, why do you think I gave you that one?" Natsuki defended.

"Fine…" Sayori dejectedly relented. "Still, I'm really happy that you shared this one with me."

Getting out of her seat, Sayori then gets behind Natsuki, hugging her from behind.

"Ah geez, I get it I get it." Natsuki turned, reluctantly accepting the hug. Then without warning Sayori leans over her shoulder and steals a bite from her cookie. "Hey! Did you seriously just do that?!" Natsuki shouted.

"Uuhuhh." Sayori muttered with her mouth full, scurrying away a safe distance.

Yuri, who had been passively watching while reading her book, laughed at the exchange. James, however, did nothing to acknowledge it.

"Jeez! You're such a kid sometimes! Monika! Can you tell Sayori…Eh?" Natsuki then noticed that Monika was not in the club.

"Ugh, where's Monika anyway?" Natsuki inquired.

"Good question. Have any of you heard anything about her being late today?" Yuri asked curiously.

"Not me…" Sayori added, mildly thoughtful.

"…"

"Hmm. That's a bit unusual." Yuri contemplated.

"I hope she's okay." Sayori said, with worry etched deeply in her face and voice.

"Of course she's okay." Natsuki reassured her without doubt. "She probably just had something to do today. She's pretty popular, after all…"

"Eh?" Sayori suddenly shouted in shock. "You don't think she…she has a..?"

"Ahaha, I wouldn't be surprised." Yuri agreed.

"…?" James looked between them confused, Sayori had not finished her sentence and yet Yuri agreed.

"She's probably more desirable than all of us combined." Yuri stated calmly.

"Ehehe, that's true…" Sayori laughed.

… _Huh_? The ease and openness that Yuri and Sayori self-deprecated themselves was confounding and disturbing to James.

"Excuse me!" Natsuki turned to disagree. Suddenly, the door swung open.

"Sorry! I'm super sorry!" Monika burst in. "I didn't mean to be late. I hope you guys weren't worried or anything!"

"Eh?" Sayori turned surprised. "Monika chose the club over her boyfriend after all! You're so strong willed!"

"B-Boyfriend…?" Monika stammered embarrassed. "What on Earth are you talking about?" Monika glanced at James. He noticed and turned, very subtly, defensively, away from looking at her head on. He'd almost impulsively killed her club mates three times already in two days. A relationship on any level between a Lynx and a human was dangerous. His own stepparents had managed it, but only because they had known each other for years and were very careful when in physical contact. Additionally, his stepmother, Fiona, had personally seen his stepfather's work. She knew what she was getting into.

"Ah, never mind that…" Monika dismissed the idea. "I just lost track of time during study hall, ahaha…" She explained.

"That makes no sense, though." Natsuki reasoned. "You would have heard the bell ring, at least."

"I must not have heard it, since I was practicing piano…" Monika added.

"Piano…?" Yuri inquired.

 _Yes. What in the goddamn was a piano?_ James thought.

"I wasn't aware you played music as well Monika." Yuri finished speaking.

"Ah, I don't, really…!" Monika awkwardly dismissed. "I kind of just started recently. I've always wanted to learn piano."

"That's so cool!" Sayori shouted happily. "You should play something for us Monika!"

"That's…" Monika looked at James again. His eyes narrowed slightly in annoyance. "Maybe once I get a little bit better, I will."

"Yay~!" Sayori shouted softly.

Everyone settled down after that exchange. Sayori finishing her cookie, Yuri went back to reading, and Natsuki disappeared into the closet.

"…" Shortly though, Natsuki came up to him, looking expectantly. Nodding in acknowledgment, James pulled out her book, handing it over. She took it and inspected it thoroughly.

"…" James watched patiently.

"I-I just wanted to make sure it was undamaged!" Natsuki explained. "Can you blame me for being paranoid? I don't give people my manga every day, you know."

"Mmm." James hummed in response. "I understand."

"Well anyway, let me put this one back. I'm gonna get the next one, okay?" She stated with a newly formed smile. She went back to the closet and James followed slowly.

"So you're gonna tell me everything you thought, right?" Natsuki eagerly questioned.

James cringed internally, having been hoping to avoid sharing his thoughts.

"Where did this volume leave off again? I forget."

"The chapter ended when the characters Minori and Alice found-" James had begun what he recalled, until he was interrupted.

" _Monika!"_ Natsuki shouted, annoyance creeping into her voice from within the closet.

"…" Peering into the closet, James noted that all of Natsuki's books were lined up…on the top self, well out of her reach.

"Did you move my manga again?!" Natsuki demanded to know.

"Ah, sorry, sorry!" Monika came towards the back of the classroom. "The teacher got mad at me for taking up so much space in her closet. So I had to move some stuff around and clean up a little bit. It's all still there, I just had to organize it a bit!" With that explained she when back to what she was doing before.

"Ugh…" Natsuki groaned in frustration. She made a futile hop to reach the box, still trying to figure it out. "Jeez. This is so inconvenient!"

Seeing a problem and solution in one go, James walked up toward the self. He reached up and wrapped his hand around the box with a good grip. He gave it a lift…

"Hey! Wait!" Natsuki warned. "I'll get it myself!"

"…"

… _Well fuck you too then_. Strayed thought, mildly bemused at the girls insistence.

Without looking away from her, James grabbed a folding stool from the wall and held it out to her. Natsuki looked insulted, but otherwise took the stool while baring her teeth. Setting and climbing the stool, it turned out to be surprisingly unstable. Still, Natsuki got to its top.

"Ah…" Natsuki moaned in cautious apprehension. She looked back to see James looking on impassively. "I-I know what I'm doing!" She assured him viciously, James shrugged in response.

"Uhhh…See…?" Natsuki said with questionable confidence. Her fingers just barely grazing her prize.

"Kyah-!" Natsuki lost her confidence as her prize suddenly lost balance and tipped forward off the self. She barely caught it before it fell to the floor, not that James would have allowed that.

Still, the stool shook with the added weight throwing the center of gravity far off.

"Wawaa-!" Natuki squeaked nervously. She hopped off and landed on her feet somehow. "T-There!" Natsuki tried to hide how precarious a position she had been in.

"…" James quietly sighed. There was still a larger box on the top shelf.

"…heh." Natsuki, realizing this, went to get a taller support. She forced her way past him. "Let's see…Aha!" Natsuki went over to the teacher's desk, retrieving…the swivel chair.

"…"

… _This isn't going to end well_. Swivel chairs had been banned after a CEO of a major corporation had died in a situation involving a swivel chair, latex, and duct tape.

It had been…hard to explain.

Bringing the chair over, she put it back-end toward the shelf, then climbed up, balancing all the while.

"Aha! There we go!" Natsuki announced as she grabbed the box, however, she looked nervous as she brought it down. "See? I can easily do it now." She bent over, attempting to put it on the shelf below her.

"W-Wahh-!" Natsuki gave a startled cry as the chair started moving against her wishes. She grabbed a shelf for support. "What are you doing?" She accused. "Can you at least hold the chair steady instead of standing there and doing nothing?"

"…" James's eyebrow rose as he shook his head lightly. He moved forward and steadied the chair. Natsuki reached back up and got another box.

"Ugh, heavy…" Natsuki commented with the largest box in hand. "Hey, James…I-I don't think I can bend down without falling…! Hurry and take this one…"

"Right." James replied, hands still supporting the chair. He let go and looked up at her.

Natsuki turned and seemed to realize something about her position. One brought about by her short skirt school uniform.

" _W-What are you looking at?!_ " She demanded, voice mixed between vile and embarrassment.

"…?"

"You're trying to look at my…m-my…" Her legs shook as her voice trembled.

"…No." James had not been trying to look. He wasn't interested in looking. He was aware of what she was implying but had been successfully ignoring her exposure the entire time. He lost all interest in looking at girls in that manner after his augmentation. Except that no one had told Natsuki that.

"…You're going to fall." He commented.

"You…you perv!" Natsuki accused. "You set me up! Go away! Get out!"

"…?" James took personal offense to that. Deciding he was done being insulted, he decided to let karma take its toll.

"A-Ah-!" Natsuki cried as the chair moved under her. It fully gave out and Natsuki was on a one-way ticket to the floor. Though frustrated with her, James went to catch her, and her damn box as well.

The box had been easy enough. With some compensation he caught it in one hand and kept the books inside from falling out. Natsuki had been more of a problem. Not only was she flailing wildly during her fall, but James knew that grabbing her incorrectly would create unnecessary drama he wasn't interested in dealing with. Though perhaps he could have been more careful with her than he was.

Natsuki fell into James face first. He aimed with his free arm to catch her at her midriff. Unfortunately, that left her head exposed to contact with his chest. With a thud and a wheeze, Natsuki draped across his arm limply.

 _Did she just… die?_ James thought with an annoyed sigh. Though inconvenient, he was next to a window and a swivel chair. It was, perhaps, the easiest excuse to avoid taking credit for a kill.

Setting the box to the floor and the body in the chair, he checked her neck and found it had not snapped, and that she still had a pulse. Rather lucky for her, considering his physiology was closer to a concrete wall than a fleshy bone cage. A red welt grew on her temple as she sat still, yet breathing.

"U-Uu…" Natsuki moaned incoherently. She moved her arms around, gaining her bearings and sitting up in the chair. "W…what happened?"

"…You fell." James answered unamused.

"Mmmmm." Natsuki rubbed the bump on her head.

"Natsuki." James announced flatly.

"Mmm?" Natsuki opened her eyes, and paused. James looked…annoyed. It was not like the day before where his eyes and tone threatened violence. Still, it was a look devoid of kindness or patience.

James turned and grabbed the nearest desk from the row at the back of the class. He dragged it slowly and loudly towards the closet she was in. Once a few feet from her, he sat in it reverse style, facing her.

"I understand that you want your privacy to be respected. Believe me, I feel the same way."

Natsuki remembered what had happened before and blushed angrily, looking away with a huff.

"I was not attempting to look up your skirt. I was entirely invested in helping you, despite your callousness."

She looked back slowly, a thin line of regret in her eyes.

"I learned from a very young age to control any urge, to prevent habits. So, when you engineer a situation through your own stubbornness and accuse me of being perverse, I take it personally. I take it as an insult." This he stated darkly, with thinly veiled contempt.

She thought about it and decided she had rushed to conclusions. James was not close to her behind when she had looked back. He was well offset and looking at the box she held. She looked down in shame.

"I could assure you, all day long, that I am not a pervert. But ultimately, that is for you to decide. If you don't believe me, I see no reason to subject myself to further insult."

Natsuki looked up in surprise, realizing what he meant.

"If that is all. I'll be taking my leave." James announced, standing up and turning away.

"W-Wait!" Natsuki spoke up, forcing his attention. Even if he had only feigned interest with her, she didn't want to lose that connection she had, to share and enjoy in the one place she felt safe and happy.

"I-I'm." She stuttered nervously. "I'm sorry I jumped to conclusions. I shouldn't have accused you without knowing for certain." She looked down shamefully.

James mulled over her words for a moment. There was a genuine fear, of losing something she valued.

"Aright." He stated. Natsuki looked up, surprised but relieved. She looked around again and found the box she had almost dropped.

"Ah!" She yelped, going to the floor to inspect the contents more carefully. After a moment to assure that all books in the box were in good condition, she brought one close to her chest, tightly.

"* _sob_ *" An odd noise came from her. Softly hitched breath, sounding shallow and wet.

"…" James relaxed but looked at her neutrally. Confused at her many shifts in personality so far.

"I-I'm not cr-!" She spoke out suddenly, stopping herself when her breath fell short. She looked up briefly and James saw her face growing wet.

"I'm just having a really bad day today. I didn't mean to take it out on you..." Natsuki sobbed again. "I really didn't mean to!" She said louder.

"…" James sighed. He wasn't good at this kind of thing.

 _Fiona would have known what to do…!_ James had an idea.

Lowering himself down to her level, he took out a handkerchief and started to dab her face lightly.

"W-what are you doing?" Natsuki questioned weakly, still sobbing.

"…something my stepmother used to do for me, a long time ago." James answered. It had been just after Anatolia. He had no one left, but Fiona was there. She was there for him when losing so much was emotionally exhausting. She was there when he was beaten black and blue from Lynx training. She was there. That was what was important.

"…!" Natsuki had many things she could have said. Except, she was captivated. She had seen James's eyes look cold, hard, violent, and disinterested. This was the first time she could see the slightest glint of concern in his bright, reflective, orange eyes.

"What happened to your..?" She asked after a moment, curious. For a moment, she regretted asking. James's eyes showed nervousness, pain. He looked away and had stopped rubbing her face.

"…Anatolia…" He whispered, quietly. Still, Natsuki heard.

"What is, Ana-"

"Don't-Ask me that kind of thing again." He paused. "Please." He kept looking away. She worriedly tried to think of something to say. She chose to be somewhat honest.

"I just…" Natsuki began, trying to get his attention. When it failed to, she continued. "Every day…is…so hard. I just want to…come to the club and…" She paused. "I like that you listen." She began again. "Even if you don't really care, you still listen and read with me. And like now. You are really considerate, even after I was being mean earlier."

"…" He turned back to her with a quiet hum. He looked curious, patient.

"You're really nice to me…" Natsuki pointed out quietly. It caught James slightly off guard. Still, he thought of something useful to say.

"I spent many years growing up alone, or in stressful environments. I…don't often know how to act. So, let me know… if I do something wrong." James asked her honestly. She nodded along.

"Do you…want to read with me today?" Natsuki asked him, quietly but hopefully.

"…Sure." He answered back. She smiled and got up.

After a few minutes, they had reorganized her books in the closet and had the second one ready to go. Sitting in the same spot as the previous day, Natsuki would laugh and point things out to James's mild amusement.

After a while, Monika signaled the club for poem sharing.

"…I'll take this home then?" James asked preemptively.

"Yep!" Natsuki chirped in response. "Even you sound more enthusiastic this time."

"…" James shrugged, earning a laugh in response.

"Okay, everyone!" Monika announced. "Now, I know everyone is excited to share your poems, but after yesterdays…disappointment, I thought it would be best if we all looked at James's poem together, just to check on his improvement. James? Is that alright?" Monika asked curiously.

"That will be fine." James replied, retrieving the poem.

The girls lined up at a desk, side by side to see together. James placed his poem face down before them. Monika took a deep breath.

"Here goes nothing." She said as she turned the page over for the rest of the club to read.

At first, there was a general sigh of relief, as it was evident the work was in a poem-like format, with short lines. That being said, all four girls were mystified as to its meaning. It had no title; it simply began suddenly.

_Destination Unknown  
_ _Ordeal by Innocence  
_ _Dumb Witness  
_ _Towards Zero  
_ _Death comes as the End  
_ _And Then there were None_

_For Joshua_

They were also shocked at the specificness of the last two words. Even so, there was something in the poem that each of the girls liked.

"…Wow. This is a massive improvement." Monika approved.

"I really like the dark turn it takes! It's so unexpected." Sayori complimented.

"There's nothing too hard to understand, it's really on point." Natsuki happily pointed out.

"…Yet at the same time, it reveals very little, keeping the reader guessing as to its meaning." Yuri admired.

"…" James took the praise quietly, only glad that the changes he had made seemed to work.

"But, I have to ask. What is it about?" Monika inquired.

He paused. Stopped breathing. He'd been thinking about the wars that changed everything. That destroyed him. The National Disarmament War, when Lynx were first unleashed and conquered the Earth for their corporate masters. The Lynx War that saw the sterilization of life from the surface.

The Genocide at Anatolia.

"A very bad time…" James answered uncomfortably, looking away.

"…and, who is Joshua?" Monika asked for her friends, who were all curious and, quietly, jealous.

He sat down, head in his hands. The girls traded uncomfortable glances between each other.

"Joshua O'Brian." James suddenly said out loud. He looked up. His eyes hollowed and unfocused. With unsteady breath, he explained.

"Joshua, was a good man, who did something evil." Concern grew on the girls faces. "He…hurt me. More seriously than any single person has ever hurt me." He could still hear the roar of the Gatling cannons, strafing back and forth across the street. Thick, red mist mixing with sand. The slick, runny paste that had moments before been hundreds of people.

"However." James announced confidently. "I forgive him." He stated with seriousness and energy.

"James-" Sayori tried to approach, but he seemed to retort on reflex.

"He was a good man. I forgive him." His tone shutting down further inquiry. Monika, Natsuki, and Yuri looked back sadly, but understandingly. Sayori invaded his space again, hugging him from the side, her head on his back. James allowed it for a few moments, before he reached up and lightly squeezed her arm, standing up after doing so.

"If you are satisfied, I think I should now read what you guys have written today." James calmly asked.

That seemed to distract them well enough, and the girls each went to retrieve their poems. Sayori returned to him first.

"Here, I worked really hard on this one. I hope you really like it!" She encouraged, handing James her paper.

_**Bottles** _

_I pop off my scalp like the lid of a cookie jar._

_It's the secret place where I keep all my dreams.  
Little balls of sunshine, all rubbing together like a bundle of kittens._

_I reach inside with my thumb and forefinger and pluck one out.  
It's warm and tingly.  
But there's no time to waste! I put it in a bottle to keep it safe.  
And I put the bottle on the shelf with all of the other bottles.  
Happy thoughts, happy thoughts, happy thoughts in bottles, all in a row._

_My collection makes me lots of friends.  
Each bottle a starlight to make amends.  
Sometimes my friend feels a certain way.  
Down comes a bottle to save the day._

_Night after night, more dreams.  
Friend after friend, more bottles.  
Deeper and deeper my fingers go.  
Like exploring a dark cave, discovering the secrets hiding in the nooks and crannies.  
Digging and digging.  
Scraping and scraping._

_I blow dust off my bottle caps.  
It doesn't feel like time elapsed.  
My empty shelf could use some more.  
My friends look through my locked front door._

_Finally, all done. I open up, and in come my friends.  
In they come, in such a hurry. Do they want my bottles that much?  
I frantically pull them from the shelf, one after the other.  
Holding them out to each and every friend.  
Each and every bottle.  
But every time I let one go, it shatters against the tile between my feet.  
Happy thoughts, happy thoughts, happy thoughts in shards, all over the floor._

_They were supposed to be for my friends, my friends who aren't smiling.  
They're all shouting, pleading. Something.  
But all I hear is echo, echo, echo, echo, echo  
Inside my head._

There was something terribly familiar about her last few lines. He didn't know how it was possible, but she had perfectly described a feeling he had when he had been forced to do Eviction Contracts on civilians who had tried to skirt from their dues to the corporations.

People in rags, living in filth. Regardless of age, gender, or ability to resist. Families and their friends terrified of him. All of them, shouting, pleading, begging. Him just firing, and firing, and firing, and firing, and firing till they stopped moving and collection drones took the corpses for reprocessing. There was no thrill, no challenge in hunting the innocent. No honor, but to complete a contract that granted him no further rank, except to be the corporations lowest, groveling dog for hire.

Their faces twisted in fear and terror. The silent screaming deafening beyond compare. All burned into his mind, as the greatest insult the corporations saw fit to bestow to one of his caliber of skill.

As for the rest of the poem, the imagery was not lost on him. The choice use of words conveyed a desperation, one born of unstable and uncertain mind. He looked up at Sayori, smiling eagerly. Which was the real Sayori? The girl smiling sweetly before him? Or the one who wrote this, who put into words that void of dread he felt for hunting the weak with barbaric cruelty?

"This is…really great." James complimented as well as he could, haunted at how deep her words cut into his memory.

"Thank you!" Sayori cheered. "Monika taught me a whole lot! And I've been really in touch with my feelings recently…"

"It is, unusually dark for you though?" James asked in mild concern.

"Well…" Sayori started, blushing with a distant look in her eye. "I feel like I was meant to express myself this way. It even helps me understand my own feelings a little bit better."

"I do like happy poems, but I like sad poems too…" Sayori explained, looking deep and thoughtful. "Sometimes a little bit of both. There's a word for that, right..?" Sayori paused concerningly. "What's the word I'm looking for…Bittersweet!" She shouted happily. "Yeah, I like things that are happy and things that are sad."

"You're quite passionate about this then?" Asked James curiously.

"Yeah! Writing is the best!" She shouted happily. "I'm gonna keep writing until I die!"

"Mmm" James hummed thoughtfully, concerned. With nothing more to say he patted her shoulder, which sent her skipping off to another member, and prompting Natsuki to approach him.

"Hey, read this. You should be impressed." Natsuki demanded, laying her work out before him.

_**Amy Likes Spiders** _

_You know what I heard about Amy?  
Amy likes spiders.  
Icky, wriggly, hairy, ugly spiders!  
That's why I'm not friends with her._

_Amy has a cute singing voice.  
I heard her singing my favorite love song.  
Every time she sang the chorus, my heart would pound to the rhythm of the words.  
But she likes spiders.  
That's why I'm not friends with her._

_One time, I hurt my leg really bad.  
Amy helped me up and took me to the nurse.  
I tried not to let her touch me.  
She likes spiders, so her hands are probably gross.  
That's why I'm not friends with her._

_Amy has a lot of friends.  
I always see her talking to people.  
She probably talks about spiders.  
What if her friends start to like spiders too?  
That's why I'm not friends with her._

_It doesn't matter if she has other hobbies.  
It doesn't matter if she keeps it private.  
It doesn't matter if it doesn't hurt anyone._

_It's gross.  
She's gross.  
The world is better off without spider lovers._

_And I'm gonna tell everyone._

After the previous day's embarrassment, James had taken it upon himself to research the most common types of animals in the world, so the symbolism was not entirely lost on him. That being said, based on what he knew, he figured out the meaning of the poem fairly quickly.

'Amy' was Natsuki and 'spiders' was manga or any other niche interest of hers.

"Not bad, right?" Natsuki remarked before he could respond.

"Yes."

"Yesterday's poem was just warming up!" She announced, assuming he had thought the previous day as too simple. "I hope you didn't think that was the best I could do."

"I never assumed as much." He deflected.

"Anyway, the message is pretty straightforward in this poem. I doubt I have to explain it. Even to someone like you."

"…I got it." James dismissed; an eyebrow raised in mild annoyance.

"Sometimes you can explain complicated issues with much simpler analogies. And it helps people realize how stupid they're being." Natsuki explained her thoughts, further reinforcing the idea that she was the 'Amy' of the poem.

"Like, anyone would agree that the subject of this poem is an ignorant jerk…"

"Hmm. Do you know anyone like that?" James probed for information, merely to confirm what he already knew.

"Of course. It's about how everyone thinks my-" Natsuki paused, inadvertently telling him everything he already knew. "…That doesn't matter! It can be about anything! I wrote it to be easy to relate to…Everyone has some kind of weird hobby, or a guilty pleasure."

He could relate to that. His kill count against his own kind was testament to that line of thinking.

"Something that you're afraid if people find out, they'd make fun of you or think less of you."

That, less so. It would simply be inconvenient and…hard to explain.

"…But that just makes people stupid!" Natsuki shouted. "Who cares what someone likes, as long as they're not hurting anyone, and it makes them happy?"

…Oops. On a technicality, Lynx where not people, they were another species, closer to equipment than living humans. Killing them was closer to a business transaction than a criminal action.

"I think people really need to learn to respect others for liking weird things." Natsuki finished explaining.

"…Yeah…you're right." James replied, only slightly conflicted. He could excuse his Lynx kill count, but his civilian kill count was done out of desperation and an impossible choice he'd been given.

"I'm glad that you can appreciate this kind of writing. I've been…well, I've been enjoying sharing my writing with you, so…so consider yourself lucky, okay?" Natsuki scampered away. With a shrug, James turned to Yuri.

"Um… Are you still mad at me?" Yuri asked solemnly.

"Hmm? Why?" James asked quizzically, head slightly cocked.

"For being disrespectful yesterday…and also the book…"

"No. Not really." James answered dismissively. However, Yuri seemed to ignore him.

"I just… how could I be so stupid?" She turned, ashamed to meet his eyes. "I always let these things happen…"

"…?"

"Whenever I think before I speak, I just come off as awkward and unlikeable." Yuri explained out loud to herself.

"…"

"But if I speak without thinking, the things I want to keep inside come out and make people hate me." She countered her previous statement.

"…"

"So…please don't force yourself to be around me." Yuri tired to dismiss herself. "I know this is what Monika wants."

" _Oh for fucks sake Yuri_!" James and Strayed shared and spoke. She was rambling somewhat madly, and it was grating to listen to. Reaching up to her shoulders, they forced Yuri to face them. She looked startled and blushed brightly.

"Yuri. I realize I might have come on a little _strongly_ yesterday, but only because you _both_ were being stupid. And yeah, your book disturbed me, but that's because it reminds me too much of my past. Maybe you have another one, I don't know." James tried to explain. "I…don't think negatively of you. You are…a club member." James stated confidently. "And club members stick together, alright?" He backed off then, leaving Yuri a bit rattled but satisfied.

"I…thank you." Yuri spoke, rocking in slight embarrassment.

"Now, would you like me to read your poem?"

"Yeah. I do. If it's…mmm." Yuri cut herself off. She handed over her work.

_**The Raccoon** _

_It happened in the dead of night while I was slicing bread for a guilty snack.  
My attention was caught by the scuttering of a raccoon outside my window.  
That was, I believe, the first time I noticed my strange tendencies as an unusual  
human.  
I gave the raccoon a piece of bread, my subconscious well aware of the consequences.  
Well aware that a raccoon that is fed will always come back for more.  
The enticing beauty of my cutting knife was the symptom.  
The bread, my hungry curiosity.  
The raccoon, an urge._

_The moon increments its phase and reflects that much more light off of my cutting  
knife.  
The very same light that glistens in the eyes of my raccoon friend.  
I slice the bread, fresh and soft. The raccoon becomes excited.  
or perhaps I'm merely projecting my emotions onto the newly-satisfied animal._

_The raccoon has taken to following me.  
You could say that we've gotten quite used to each other.  
The raccoon becomes hungry more and more frequently, so my bread is always handy.  
Every time I brandish my cutting knife the raccoon shows me its excitement.  
A rush of blood. Classic Pavlovian conditioning. I slice the bread._

_And I feed myself again._

Addiction. This poem was about some kind of addiction. With a few whiffs, James smelled and tasted the air around Yuri much more clinically than before.

"…" He sighed. She smelled perfectly normal. No foreign compounds of any kind, other than those strange scented oils he knew people in this era used for some reason. She looked normal as well, skin a healthy shade and eyes focused and alert.

Yet there was something. Blood. A smell and taste he knew so well when it coated the floor, walls, and celling of every contract done out of a NEXT. It wasn't in dangerous amounts though, in fact it was in such small amounts Yuri might not even know it. But somewhere, Yuri had an open wound. He'd bet on that.

"Um, I was a little more daring with this one than yesterday's." Yuri explained, quietly but clearly eager.

"Yeah." He replied, nodding along if only to assure her.

"This is a bit closer to my preferred writing style." Yuri explained. "Using the poem as a canvas to express vivid imagery, and conveying emotions through them."

"I see."

"I wanted to…express the way it feels for me to indulge in my more unusual hobbies… It's those sorts of things I'm usually forced to keep to myself." Yuri reluctantly said. "So, I sometimes enjoy writing about them."

"Huh." James realized that maybe he had overreacted. Maybe 'addiction' was too strong a word. Maybe she was just into some questionable collections or activities. He could sympathize with that. He kept a large stock of firearms in his house, and he knew he wouldn't feel right if he wasn't taking periodic kill contracts. So technically, he had no right to judge Yuri so harshly.

"Honestly…Its embarrassing to talk about. You know what I mean, right James?"

"Yeah, of course I do."

"I feel like everyone has a little something like that." She began. "The best we can do is respect each other and our individualities. Even if it's difficult sometimes, and some things make us uncomfortable. After all, if I hadn't learned to embrace my own weirdness, I would probably hate myself."

"…"

"I-I might be ranting a little bit now…" Yuri interrupted herself. "…But I'm glad that you're a good listener."

"…Of course." Odd. Natsuki had said something like that earlier.

Seemingly done, Yuri sauntered off, leaving Monika to approach him.

"Hi James! You ready to read my poem now? I like the way this one turned out, so I hope you do too-" Monika declared, setting her work before him.

_**Save Me** _

_The colors, they won't stop.  
Bright, beautiful colors  
Flashing, expanding, piercing  
Red, green, blue  
An endless  
cacophony  
Of meaningless  
noise_

_The noise, it won't stop.  
Violent, grating waveforms  
Squeaking, screeching, piercing  
Sine, cosine, tangent  
Like playing a chalkboard on a turntable  
Like playing a vinyl on a pizza crust  
An endless  
poem  
Of meaningless_

_Load Me_

"…" James sighed. While he had initially thought that Yuri's poem was about taking drugs, Monika's poem looked to have been written _while on drugs_. Again, he took a whiff of air around her just to check.

"…" Nothing. Not a damn thing. "You really like writing with no clear meaning huh?" He asked.

"Ahaha." Monika giggled. "I guess it's just the way I write. I'm sorry if you don't like it." She said this, still smiling, hunched in such a way as to show off her figure, which James easily ignored.

"…I never said as much. Simply that it's meaning escapes me."

"I kind of like playing with my space on the paper…Choosing where and how to space your words can totally change the mood of the poem." She explained. "It's almost like magic. The way I wrote the lines really short makes it feel like they're trying to speak over the noise."

"I…see…" Perhaps he had been taking things too literally. From what it sounded like; the taller girls of the club had a way to write that implied a lot of things without meaning they were fucked in the head. Merely that they knew how to write to make the reader think as much, which had clearly worked on him. "I'm still having difficulty with it though."

"Ahaha." Monika laughed. "Sometimes asking what a poem is about isn't the right question. A poem can be as abstract as a physical expression of a feeling. Or a conversation with the reader. So, putting it that way, not every poem is about something."

James rubbed his eyes. He was much more used to contract reading, where hidden meanings had to be plainly written and interpreted correctly. This abstract crap was mentally exhausting.

"Hehee. Don't worry." Monika patted his head, completely without his permission. "I'm sure you'll learn to stop thinking so hard and just accept that not everything has to be spelled out clearly."

With that done with, she moved away from him towards the front of the room.

"Okay, everyone!" Monika announced. "We're all done reading each other's poems, right? I have something extra planned today, so if everyone could come sit at the front of the room."

"Is this about the festival?" Natsuki inquired.

"Well, sort of-"

"Ugh, do we really have to do something for the festival?" Natsuki complained. "It's not like we can put together anything good in just a few days. We'll just end up embarrassing ourselves instead of getting any new members."

"That's a concern of mine as well." Yuri added. "I don't really do well with last-minute preparations…"

"Don't worry so much." Monika assured them. "We're going to keep it simple, okay? We won't need much more than a few decorations. Sayori has been working on posters, and I've designed some pamphlets we can give out during the event."

"Okay, that's great and all, but that doesn't tell us what we're actually going to be doing for the event." Natsuki responded.

"Ah, sorry! I thought you heard about it already." Monika apologized. "We're going to be performing!" She cheered.

"Performing?" Natsuki questioned, voice raised in mild surprise. Yuri, who had been thoughtfully listening, grew dangerously nervous.

"P…" Yuri started, but was unable to finish. "Um, Monika…"

"Yeah! We're going to be having a poetry performance." Monika explained to her two-club mate's growing distress. Even James found himself somewhat concerned at putting himself on display. "Each of us are going to choose a poem to recite during the event. But the cool part is, we're going to let anyone else come up and recite poems too! Sayori's putting it on all the posters in case anyone wants to prepare ahead of time."

"Ehehe~" Sayori giggled. She held up a poster for the other members to see.

"Are you kidding me, Monika?" Natsuki asked unamused. "You didn't… you didn't already start putting those poster up, did you?"

"Eh? Well, I did…" Monika replied with a cautious tone. "Do you really think it's that bad of an idea…?"

"Well, no." Natsuki still looked concerned. "It's not a bad idea. But I didn't sign up for this, you know! There is _no_ way I'm going to be performing in front of a group of people like that!"

"I…I agree with Natsuki!" Yuri shouted with sudden confidence. "I could never…in my life…do something like that…" She shook her head fearfully.

"Guys…" Sayori spoke up, concerned.

"No, Sayori…" Monika interrupted. "I understand where they're coming from. Remember that Natsuki and Yuri have never shared their poems with anyone until just a couple days ago… It's a lot to ask for them to recite their poems out loud to a whole room full of people. I guess I kind of overlooked that." Monika closed her eyes in regret. "So, I'm sorry."

"…" Natsuki sighed.

"…But! I still think we should give it our best!" Monika explained. "We're the only ones responsible for the fate of this club. If we start the event and each put on a good performance, then it will inspire others to do the same! And the more people who perform, the better we'll be able to show everyone what literature is all about!"

"Yeah!" Sayori shouted. "It's about expressing your feelings…Being intimate with yourself…Finding new horizons…and having fun!"

"That's right!" Monika agreed. "And it's those reasons that we're all in this club today. Don't you want to share that with others? To inspire them to find the same feelings that brought you here in the first place? I know you do. I know we all do. And if all it takes is standing in front of the room for two minutes and reciting a poem…Then I know you can do it!"

Natsuki and Yuri both held a contemplative look, but remained silent. Sayori looked worried. As for James, despite Monika's explanation, he was still against it. Personally, he gained nothing from speaking publicly. Additionally, knowing all four of the girls without any practical reason was unusual for his kind, adding anymore people to the mix would be…uncomfortable.

Even so, his president had just asked him to do something, and an order by a superior officer should be answered. It should be honored.

"I'll do it." James announced. He held a confident gaze over the rest of the club.

Natsuki turned in surprise and opened her mouth to argue, but nothing came out. The force behind his words was absolute. It left no doubt. "Nn…Okay, fine!" Natsuki announced as well. "I guess I'll just have to get it over with."

"Alright~!" Sayori shouted.

"*Phew*…" Monika sighed loudly, smiling with a growing confidence. "Thanks James, Natsuki. What about you, Yuri…?"

"…" Yuri glanced dejectedly at the expectant and confident faces around her. With a sigh, she replied. "I-I guess I don't really have a choice…"

"Ahaha! That's everyone!" Sayori called. "You're the best, Yuri!"

"This club is seriously going to be the death of me…" Yuri muttered quietly.

"Oh gosh." Monika chastised. "You'll be fine, Yuri. But anyway… Let's move onto the main event! I want each of you to choose a poem of yours. We're going to practice reciting them in front of each other."

"N-N-No way!" Natsuki squeaked.

"Monika…!" Yuri yelled. "This is too sudden…!"

"Well, if you can't recite your poem in front of the club, how do you expect to do it in front of strangers?" Monika asked.

"Oh no…" Yuri resigned herself.

"Don't worry." Monika assured her. "I'll start off to help everyone feel a little more comfortable."

"Can I go next?" Sayori pleaded.

"Ahaha. Of course." Monika allowed. "Now, let's see…" She flipped through a notebook to a poem she had in mind. Then, standing behind the podium, she announced. "The title of this poem is _The Way They Fly_." With a light cough she began. With clear confidence, she filled the room with pristine inflections. Each line emphasized an emotion which brought real meaning to her words.

James took a moment to gauge his club mates. Sayori held an amazed gaze. Yuri looked incredibly thoughtful. Finally, when she finished, the three other girls started to clap. James looked at them oddly, having never seen the action before. When he refused to act, Monika looked at him disappointedly, while the other three looked at him accusingly.

"Uh…James? Did you…not like my poem?" Monika asked with a hurt expression.

"The poem was good. I liked it." He answered calmly.

"But…you didn't clap." Monika looked concerned.

"Clap? What is clap?" James asked at the new word he was hearing. The rest of the club looked at him strangely. James thought about it for a moment. "Was that clap?" He pointed in the general direction where the girl's hands had been up before.

"Yes…that was 'clapping'." Monika answered, still concerned.

James looked at his hands curiously, before bringing them together a little too quickly, causing more a slap than a clap. Natsuki flinched at the noise. Still looking at his hands, James gave another experimental swing, resulting in a single clap. Satisfied at the noise it made James started to clap.

Then kept clapping and clapping while the girls looked at him with curious and concerned expressions.

"James! That's enough!" Monika came up to him, worry laced in her words. She grabbed his arms to keep them from opening again. "T-Thank you, but only a few seconds is usually enough."

"Alright." James replied, lowering his arms, forcing Monika to let go. She blushed as she let her arms down and got back with the group. Sayori started to go to the podium.

"Actually! I would like to go next!" Yuri shouted confidently.

"Uwah! Yuri's fired up all of a sudden!" Sayori commented.

Clutching a sheet of paper, Yuri approached the podium quickly, equal parts confident and embarrassed. "This poem is called…" She anxiously glanced at her clubmates.

"You can do it, Yuri…" Sayori encouraged.

"Its…It's called… _Afterimage of a Crimson Eye_." Her voice was unsteady when she started, however, her confidence began to rise, improving her speech with each word, filling them with energy. The twist and turns of the poem give insight to the inner workings of her mind. Rather abruptly, the poem finishes. James went to clap but noticed that no one else was, confusing him, much to his annoyance. The other members stood in shocked silence at Yuri's performance. Yuri, rapidly losing the confidence she had built during her reading, looked back at her club apprehensively.

"I…" Yuri nervously croaked. James, being far less affected by the drama that was Yuri's distinct writing patterns; made up his mind and started clapping. While her writing might be considered by others to be a deep dive into "psychological horror", it was, to a Lynx, "an average Tuesday in a designated underground residential sector."

Shortly after James started clapping, the three other club members joined in. As the applauds continued, Yuri clutched her poem and rushed back to her seat.

"Yuri, that was really good." Monika assured her. "Thank you for sharing."

"…" Yuri is so embarrassed she doesn't say anything.

"Okaay~" Sayori practically sings. "I guess I'm next, then!" She skips toward the podium. "This one's called… _My Meadow_. Ah…Ahaha…Sorry, I giggled…Ehehe…This is a lot harder than I thought! How did you guys do it so easily?"

"Ah…" Monika spoke up. "Try not to think of it like you're reciting to other people. Imagine you're reciting it to yourself, like in front of a mirror, or in your own head. It's your poem, so it'll come out the best that way."

"I see, I see…" Sayori looks contemplative. "Okay, then…" Then she began. Her soft voice mixing with serene and bittersweet imagery. On its own, it wasn't anything noteworthy, but coming from Sayori, using her own inflections, it changed a great deal. She finished and everyone applauded. "I did it~!" She cheered.

"It came out nicely, Sayori." Monika complimented. "The atmosphere of the poem fits you really nicely. But it might be that other poems wouldn't work quite as well with that kind of delivery…"

"Eh? I don't really understand…" Sayori questioned as she looked back with some concern.

"In other words, I've seen poems of yours where that sort of gentle delivery wouldn't work as well." Monika explained. "They might need a little more force behind them, depending on what you're reading…"

"Oh, I know what you mean!" Sayori nodded. "That's…well, I've been practicing that kind of thing…It's just embarrassing to do in front of everyone…Ehehe…" She giggled nervously, her fingers locked together.

"Then next time, I'm going to make you pick a poem that challenges you a little more." Monika informed her. "We don't have much time before the festival, you know?"

"Okaaaaay." Sayori sung in reply.

"Now, who's next…?" Monika asked the last two members. "Natsuki?"

"Hmph." Natsuki grumbled. "Don't make me go before James. It's not like I can compare to you guys, anyway…Might as well let him lower everyone's standards a little before I have to do it."

"Natsuki…" Sayori began to chastise the girl.

"I see." James began, his mouth curling into a devious smile. "Very well, I accept your challenge."

The depth and viciousness in his smile put the girls on edge, and froze Natsuki, her eyes going wide. She had yet to learn not to insult a Lynx.

"This poem has no title. It is, however, about events I witnessed as a child." He informed them. He had not been ignoring the previous performances, and he now had an idea.

With the confidence Yuri had shown, James began to speak. With inflections and pauses Monika had practiced, he rolled each word into its own little story. Additionally, he cheated. He used his mental prowess to create suggestions in the girl's minds. He could not invade their minds, not at this distance or without contact, but their untrained and unshielded minds easily accepted two mental images that his words refined into being.

Images of a world turned to ash, and a street filled with blood.

Finally, with his last two words, he softened his voice to nearly match Sayori in gentleness, while imparting one final feeling conveyed through his thoughts. Tragedy. Understanding. Forgiveness.

His poem finished, he watched as each girl struggled to contain themselves. The mental suggestions had opened their minds to the true meaning the poem represented. Slowly, with painful sluggishness, they each began to clap, their eyes more glistening than they had been moments before.

"That was…" Monika began, her voice uncertain. "…Really good. I think…I think you've learned a lot in only two days."

"What can I say? I had the most excellent teachers." His statement caused each girl to blush dangerously, brightly.

 _Stop that._ Strayed warned, annoyed at the girl's growing interest.

 _Sorry! Even when I try not showing interest, they just get closer. They won't lose interest any time soon at this rate_. James explained, uncomfortable at the implications he was making. Strayed gave something of a disapproving growl but remained silent.

"Alright…That just leaves you Natsuki." Monika recovered slightly.

"Y-Yeah." Natsuki also tried to regain her confidence. Unable to shake the images that had been placed there by James's words.

"The poem is called…" Natsuki began uncertainly. "It's called…W-Why are you all looking at me?!" She shouted in embarrassment.

"Because you're presenting…" Monika explained.

"Hmph…" Natsuki sighed dramatically. "Anyway…the poem is called _Jump_." Once she began, her sour attitude diluted. Though lacking energy in her words, her poem had a rhythm and rhyme to it, one that "jumped" with each line. Finished, she received her due applause, then returned with a sigh to her seat.

"That wasn't so bad, was it?" Monika questioned her most apprehensive members.

"Easy for you to say…You'd better not make me do that again." Natsuki warned.

"Ah, well. Do you at least feel prepared enough to recite a poem in front of other people?" Monika questioned.

"I mean, doing it in front of other people will be way easier!" Natsuki explained. "I can put on whatever face I want for other people. But when it's just my friends…It's just…embarrassing."

"That's a surprise, Natsuki…" Sayori commented. "I think it would be the other way around for me."

"Well, that's just how it is, so…"

"Well, I guess in that case.." Monika began. "You won't have to worry about the festival. That said, I want to thank everyone for coming through. It might be hard, but I hope that you all have an idea of what it's like now. Make sure you pick a poem and get enough practice before the festival, okay? I'll be making pamphlets, so let me know ahead of time what you'll be reciting."

"And James. I'm pleasantly surprised that you're putting in all this effort for the club." Monika addressed him. "It makes me really happy." She turned with her arms behind her, as she did when she wanted attention.

"…It would be improper of me not to give it all my effort." He replied flatly.

"Okay, everyone!" Monika turned to the whole club again. "I think that's about it for today. I know the festival is coming up, but let's try to write poems for tomorrow, as well. It's been working out really nicely so far, so I'd like to continue that. As for the festival, we'll finish planning tomorrow, and then we'll have the weekend to prepare. Monday's the big day!"

"I can't wait!" Sayori cheered.

"I can do this…I can do this…" Yuri muttered to herself.

"…" James said nothing but logged the information. He turned to leave, Sayori tagging herself along.

"Look at you two, always going home together like that." Natsuki commented.

"It's kind of adorable, isn't it?" Monika turned sweetly.

"Ehehe." Sayori giggled.

"…" He sighed, unamused but otherwise neutral.

"It must be a little nice, though…" Yuri daydreamed.

"…"

"It's okay, James, you don't have to say anything." Sayori tried to relieve him.

"…" He rubbed his eyes tiredly. Just four more days and he would get some sleep. He just had to not crack in that time. Yet these damn girls kept pushing his buttons.

Outside the school, his six-sense told him he was being watched. He turned and there, going in the other direction but paused, was Natsuki. She was looking concerned. She held his gaze for several seconds before turning, slowly and solemnly, and going on her way. How odd.

For Natsuki, she was caught up in her thoughts. She was just as interested in the foreigner as any of her friends. However, she couldn't help but notice odd things in his behavior. How alienated he was from very basic words or concepts, acting like he was seeing this for the first time. She was hoping one of the other club mates had noticed, but when she asked Sayori, she just dismissed it as an unusual quirk, while Monika and Yuri completely dismissed the issue.

Then there were things he did, or rather didn't. She was a girl, just recently turned eighteen, so she knew when boys would eye up her or her friends. James _never_ , ever, looked at any part of them in a perverse manner. Even that day, when she had accidently exposed her rear to him, he had avoided observing it entirely. He rarely smiled, hell, he rarely emoted beyond a deep sigh most of the time, like he had no other emotion to express.

The things he said followed a pattern as well. He had expressed multiple times a desire to forget a past, and mentioned a homeland filled with fighting. However, he never specified anything else about his homeland. The only thing he had mentioned was a single word that she had never heard before, Anatolia.

A great pain overtook Natsuki as she thought about the foreign word. Unbeknownst to anyone, the other girls' minds had worked normally and eventually purged the foreign images James had placed there, leaving only a lingering feeling. With Natsuki however, her mind unpackaged the image, refined it to clarity. Whereas James had only intended to share the image of a dusty and ashen world, Natsuki could see a war, a war of apathetic indifference that burned billions to ash.

What scared her the most was that word though. Anatolia. It was a beautiful word to roll off his lips, but the basic image she had of a street filled with blood had turned with it. She could see a ghastly pale sunset, opposite a black stormy sky. A small city, split by a river, surrounded by hills. Dark, dead, red clay, not a single hint of green in all directions. She looked up and saw a terrible monstrosity of black steel, a headless titan armed with massive weapons at the end of its long, spindly arms. Though imposing, the feeling it radiated was one of sadness, that she should be sad for it, to forgive it. Then she looked down and retched painfully.

Her eyes closed in terror and shock, fighting to keep what little food she had in. She opened her eyes and was back in Japan, in a quiet suburban neighborhood halfway to home. To home. Home.

Though weak of stomach and still quivering at the memory of what had been in that street, she hurried home. Her thoughts split between anxiety, fear, and uncertainty. Afraid to go home. Afraid to be alone. Afraid to be noticed. Afraid to be ridiculed. Afraid to be rejected. The only two terrible certainties she felt now only unsettled her further. That she was absolutely frightened by whatever lay in James past, and that she had had the happiest two days of her life so far, reading in his shadow.

* * *

The walk home was becoming routine. James couldn't tell if that was a good thing or not. Observing her, she had a contemplative look on her face. It was concerningly deep.

"…Sorry! I was spacing out!" Sayori jumped to attention by his own concerned gaze.

"…"

"Um…I was thinking about something from earlier." Sayori smiled uncertainly. "I like how we get to…I-I mean…"

"…"

"So…let's just say that one day, Natsuki asked to walk home with you…" Sayori forced her question.

"…"

"What would you do?" She finished her question.

"…" James thought about it logically for a moment. "If she wanted to follow me home, I could not stop her. However, like you, she is barred from entering my home, and I do believe she lives in the opposite direction, so her asking that is unlikely."

"Eh?" Sayori quipped, confused. "No, I mean if she asked you to walk to her home with her?"

"Then it would be a waste of time seeing as I live in the other direction." James answered neutrally.

"What? No. No!" Sayori stepped in front of him, forcing him to stop, much to his annoyance. "I mean! What if she wanted you to walk with her! Asked you to walk home with her, like…like I do! To spend more time with you!" She pleaded for an answer rather desperately.

"…" He now understood the intent of Sayori's question, as well as the reason she asked. "Do you know the meaning of the word 'obligation'?"

"Eh? Uh. Yeah. It means you'll do something for someone." Sayori answered somewhat confused.

"It is far more than that. It is a moral or legal bind, a commitment and a duty to loyalty." James answered. "I have held many an obligation, to many short-term contracts I have signed." He explained. "However, I have only ever held an absolute obligation to three. To my stepparents, who raised me into what I am today." He held up a single finger. "To my last employment, before coming to this nation." A second finger. "And lastly, to your club." A third finger.

"My club?" Sayori asked quizzically.

He nodded. "To Monika, whom is a growing yet worthy leader. To Yuri, quiet but honest. To Natsuki, who has shared a great deal of her interest. And to you." He placed a hand on the top of her head, over the large red bow in her hair.

"To…me?" She quivered at his touch. "Why?"

"For your…unusual kindness. That's a trait I've rarely, if ever seen. I appreciate it." James gave her a small, but honest smile.

"T-Thank you." Sayori grabbed the hand on her head, bringing it down and holding it close for a moment, before letting it go. "It's just…something I like to think about. It's not long before you won't need me anymore, you know?" Her eyes turned, looking off at anything other than him. Her face holding a concerning smile.

"That's…" James grimaced in thought. "I value you, Sayori. That's not going to change anytime soon."

"If you say so…" She turned, no longer even pretending to smile. Just lost. Distant.

That was, dammit. Of course, he knew what Sayori meant when she first asked her questions. He could never explain however, that he could not and would not see her or her club members as anything more than ~~assets~~ valued friends. Anything more would be both a lie, and an unnecessary risk.

Now though, a look of thoughtful distress was plastered on her face. She said nothing, but that didn't stop him from hearing the screaming, the wailing in her mind.

* * *

That Evening

His work for the night was finished, as well as his reading and his poem. He was ahead of schedule tonight, and looked for another component to inspect, when he received a call. He was not entirely surprised. He could taste another job coming soon.

" _I have a job for you_." The Yakuza boss answered, straight to business.

"Let's hear it." Strayed allowed.

" _A gang has been causing a lot of trouble, for both us and the police. They are very quick and very clean, so the police have nothing. There are about twenty-five members in this gang. We need you to get in there and wipe them out. No survivors. Maximum carnage. The police have agreed to look away for this operation, so you'll have about half an hour once the shooting starts. Can you accept this_?" The boss laid out the details for him.

"I will. What is the address? I will start right away." Strayed answered him seriously, but not unpleased.

* * *

Gang home/ One hour later

After a quick break-in into a house down the street, Strayed had a look out position set up on the targets. The elderly couple who occupied this residence where shaken and scared, but otherwise alive. There was no point in blooding his hands with the weak if there was no contract for it, after all.

Observing the gang for another hour, from both binoculars and thermal scopes, Strayed had a good idea about the base of operation for the opposition. Twenty-five people, with ten brightly colored cars amassed in the street, clearly belonging to the gang. Two guards outside, though not in the most lucid of states, due to narcotics and sleep deprivation. With everything set, it set out on it's plan of attack.

Several minutes later, the guards were still on duty. One passed a joint to his friend, who took a long drag on it. A sound of metal sung in the air. The gang member turned to pass the joint back, only to see his friend with a knife embedded in their skull, sliding slowly down their face. Before he even had time to gasp, a crushing hand wrapped around his throat, while hot metal was embedded into the base of his skull. He slumped and was quietly lowered to the ground.

With the guards down quietly, Strayed moved to the cars. It brought out it's personal phone, the one they carried with them from their own century, and held it close to each car's operations computer, uploading a custom program and wiping the previous data. With that taken care of, it moved back towards the front door, setting a device over the door. It did the same for the lower windows and the back door, as carefully as possible. With that done, it returned to the front door, and waited.

Just a minute later, the door opened, as two replacement guards went to relieve their friends, only to get a face full of metal as the improvised claymore, made from ten shotgun shells, went off. The bits of flesh and meat hadn't hit the floor yet as Strayed charged in, twin Vector .45 submachine guns with heavy drum magazines, came up, tracking targets.

Whatever party or meeting this gang was holding was thrown into chaos, the ten people in its immediate line of sight, seven men and three women, where cut down without a moments hesitation. Strayed raked both guns back and forth. Screams where cut short by hollow point rounds to the head and chest. Two men from around the corner came out with guns up but Strayed was waiting for them. It had a link to the thermal camera open and could see every person in the building, so it poured lead into them, each going down without a face.

Two men and a woman tried to escape from a window. The first was destroyed by his IED, the other two making it to a car, and starting it. Instead of disengaging the brake, the turned ignition locked the door permanently shut, while the engine revved all the way into the red while the sparkplugs kept firing. A few seconds later the car exploded, catching fire with the man and woman still inside.

Strayed calmly walked up the stairs, guns raised. Two more men tried to ambush it from the top of the stairwell, only to receive the last bullets from it's submachine guns. Storing those in it's coat, it brought out it's handguns, a pair of Glock .45s with extended magazines. However, it decided it wasn't going to need those.

This time, it charged to the right before reaching the top of the stairs, stepping over a body and into a room, closing the door behind it. The four survivors, including the gang leader, had set up a firing line around the corner, at the end of a hallway, and had just missed their opportunity and shot nothing but air. Quickly, the gang members charged forward, looking to exact revenge for their fallen members. The sound of shattering glass could be heard in the room. They threw open the door and fired aimlessly into the room with pistols and submachine guns. They got through half their magazines before they saw the smashed open window.

"Where the fuck did he go!" The leader shouted, another member pointing down the stairs. Logically, if their enemy had jumped out of the window, then they had to be downstairs again. The leader, his girl, and the one who pointed all aimed down the stairs. The member behind them began to lose his cool.

"W-What-What the fuck! What the fuck!" He shouted. "Are they all dead? How can everyone be dead?!"

"Shut the fuck up!" The leader turned, in time to see hands burst from the ceiling, gripping his friend by the shoulders and hauling him into the attic. The thug screamed loudly as his shoulders were crushed. As he disappeared into the attic, his screams intensified for a moment before being replaced by the sound of crushing bones and tearing flesh. The hole in the ceiling erupted in a shower of blood and silence.

"N-NO!" The leader shouted, turning his submachine gun on the ceiling and emptying the magazine. His girl and remaining thug doing the same. For a moment, there was no sound, save the dripping blood from the ceiling. They thought they had got their attacker. They thought they had won.

A hand burst from the wall on the left, dragging the leader's girl's head in. She screamed and flailed but for a moment, before going very still. The leader cried out and grabbed his lover, pulling her back through without her head. He collapsed to the ground, the headless corpse beside him.

His last remaining friend, his childhood friend, rushed the door with the stock of his gun raised to break it down, screaming a battle cry. The door exploded outward, a fist leading the way and connected with his best friend's skull, burying and collapsing it into the opposite wall. It was then that the leader saw his attacker, his unnamed enemy.

A tall form, in a faded and worn black trench coat and black tactical gear. It's face was hidden under a black ballistic mask, and a police SWAT helmet sat on it's head. The leader backed away, shakily trying to reload his submachine gun. The magazine slotted, he aimed, only for the black clad killer to reach down and squeeze the gun, before backing away. The leader pulled the trigger, only for the gun to explode in his hand, tearing it and part of his face apart.

He screamed in agony and rage. Once a leader of a gang that had the police running scared and even the Yakuza off of his streets, was now reduced to a screaming, crawling worm, bleeding and crying.

"WHO ARE YOU!?" He shouted at the black form of death. The figure brought it's foot down, collapsing the leaders rib cage. It reached down and tore the head from it's owner, holding it up for a moment before it would discard it.

" _ **Strayed**_."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Authors Note: James's poem for this chapter was the chapter names of Armored Core 4. So not entirely original. Otherwise I hope you enjoyed reading, more to follow!


	5. Ignoring Problems

Strayed suspected it would never understand humans. Certainly, there would always be need for its kind of work, that was true no matter what century it would have found itself. What was confusing was this century's obsession with desecrating the dead.

Accidents happened. Sometimes, an enemy would get too close, and the quickest way to kill them would just be to lash out with enhanced strength. Even so, The League had always preferred corpses to be left intact, as it made recovery and reprocessing into food the easiest.

That was not so with its current employers. Once they found out how easy it was for it to quickly dismember a person, all its contracts held the requirement that it dismember the corpses. That made no sense to Strayed, seeing as a corpse was just as dead whether it was whole or in multiple pieces. Though, it apparently amused them to make the public think that a bear with guns was on the loose.

With that in mind, it finished its work for the evening. Leaving the neighborhood, it sent out a kill program that detonated the engines of the remaining cars and went home. It need not worry about cleaning blood from its clothes, as they were made with hydrophobic materials.

All in all, a good night's work.

* * *

After School/Later that day

Monika forced the bile that was rising down as she read the news on her phone.

**Ruthless Gang Violence, Horror in Local Home**

The police where attempting to cover up information as best they could. But even they had trouble explaining the situation. Leaked comments from first responders painted a picture of absolute butchery. They couldn't even confirm the number dead as they had yet to recover all the parts and match them to their owners.

The comments section was filled with madness, as people questioned how such violence could take place right under the police's watch. Some people threw out conspiracy theories; from the believable, such as a team of Black Ops soldiers operating outside the law; to the fantastical, as a growing favorite theory was an intelligent grizzly bear, wielding a machine gun.

Even so, Monika steeled herself. It was just another fact of the collapsing world around her. From the rise of a terror nation in the Middle East, the saber rattling of superpowers, a rogue nuclear nation less than a thousand kilometers away, and the climate and ecology of the planet in total collapse. Her generation was expected to somehow face all these problems. A ruthless serial killer on the loose who existed without mercy or concern for fellow humans was just another concern to worry about.

Monika hoped she never met this killer. She couldn't begin to imagine how cruel or evil they would be, or how much delight they had in their slaughter. She put her phone away and hurried to her club.

"Oh, hi James!" She greeted kindly as she caught up to him, also going to the club. She knew it was silly, but she had fallen for him at first sight. The tall, exotic, and athletic looking foreigner who always came across as shy and ignorant was so cute to her. He had certainly proven more admirable than the boys of her own race, as they were all looking for a dirty quickie. She was a romantic, and the handsome and tall Romeo who played hard to get absolutely pulled at her heart strings. Her heart sung sweetly whenever he looked at her…and cried jealously whenever he talked to her clubmates. But that was all part of the game of life.

"Monika." James greeted neutrally. He opened the door for her, not showing his annoyance at her open appreciation of the gesture. He was just being polite to a superior. Nothing more.

"Hello! Sorry I'm late again!" Monika informed her club, followed in by a quiet James.

"Were you practicing piano again?" Yuri questioned curiously.

"Yeah. Ahaha." Monika laughed awkwardly.

"You must have a lot of determination." Yuri smiled in admiration. "Starting this club, and now picking up piano…"

"Well, maybe not determination…but I guess passion." Monika explained. "Remember that the club wouldn't be here if it wasn't for all of you. And I'm super happy that you're all willing to help out for the festival, too!"

"Aaah, I can't wait for the festival!" Natsuki cheered. "It's gonna be great!"

"Eh?" Monika questioned. "Weren't you complaining about it just yesterday, Natsuki?"

"Well, yeah." She answered back, still eager. "I'm not talking about _our_ part of the festival. But it's a whole day of school where we get to play and eat all kinds of delicious food!"

"…" James noted her enthusiasm was uncharacteristic, more reserved for Sayori. With that thought in mind, he wondered where she was. A quick scan of the room showed her sitting in a far corner, looking down at nothing.

"…" Standing beside Sayori, she didn't notice him. So, he stood in front of her.

"…"

"…" Nothing. He squatted down, looking up at her with concern. There was no joy, no hope, no spark in her icy blue eyes. Eventually, she noticed him.

"…" She looked at him distantly, like he was too far away to acknowledge.

"…"

"Eh." Sayori forced the noise out. Forcing a smile, she conversed with him. Sort of. "Ehehe, sorry…"

"…"

"Don't…mind me." She smiled awkwardly. "You can…go talk to everyone else."

"…"

"You…don't worry about me. I'm perfectly fine." She lied through her teeth. "See?" She showed a big, cheerful smile. "Don't let me distract you from having fun with everyone." She tried to dismiss him, make him go away. James narrowed his eyes at her accusingly. He stood up and beside her.

With a single move, he placed a hand gently on her shoulder, squeezing softly.

"Ah!" Sayori quietly gasped. She shivered at the contact, and with labored breath placed her head against the arm on her shoulder, greedily savoring the comfort. James knew she often desired physical contact, and so long as it wasn't anything of a sexual nature, he allowed it, and would watch curiously as the smaller girl would always coo and move under his pressure. It was a simple gesture, shared between two who could loosely be called friends. One for comfort, and one for curiosity.

This time however, when he let go, Sayori did not look at him appreciatively. Her eyes watered and she grit her teeth, forcing her breathing to remain steady. She turned sharply, away from him. "Just go." She spat quietly.

Sayori had never been so curt with him. With concern still in his mind, he left her to wallow in unnamed despair. He didn't understand it at all, but there was nothing he knew how to do.

"James! What's up?" Monika cheerfully greeted him.

"…Sayori is…"

"Eh? What are you saying about her?" Monika asked.

"She's too quiet. Too…" He hadn't finished the thought.

"Hmm? I can't say I've noticed anything about her…" Monika assured him. She looked past him to see Sayori dragging an eraser across her desk aimlessly. "Maybe there is something on her mind…but I'm surprised I'm not the one asking you, James. You certainly know her a lot better than I do."

"…Not really. I've only known her for a few months. This is, something else." James stated, with mild concern.

"I see…well, I'm concerned as well then. It's important to me too." Monika assured him. "I mean, I am also her friend, and I also care about the well-being of my club members, you know? Maybe I'll try talking to her myself."

"Very well. I leave it in your hands." James turned with a nod of appreciation.

"Have you considered that she might be thinking about you, James?" Monika asked innocently. That forced him to stop. Of course, he had considered that option. It was among the worst possible scenarios, as it would only lead to more pain. He turned back to face Monika; eyes narrowed accusingly.

"That's…It would be best..." James changed the subject. "…If you could help her."

"Hey, I'm just saying." Monika continued to suggest. "Sayori talks about you more than anything else. She's been so much happier ever since you've joined the club. It's like an extra light was turned on inside of her."

"…" James cringed uncomfortably. Sayori should **NEVER** have looked to him for comfort. He was first, and foremost, a Lynx for vengeance. Of course she would feel bad now, he could never provide the comfort she sought. So why…why would he continue to allow her to leach a false sense of comfort from him, knowing he would never return even a fraction of the same care?

"Ehehe, you're so funny, James." Monika turned merrily, probably misinterpreting his quiet rage for childlike embarrassment. "Have you thought that maybe you've always seen her so cheerful…because that's just how she is when she's around you?"

"…" James hardened his gaze at her. She seemed to understand, just a little bit, that he was unamused by her posturing, both literally and figuratively.

"Ah…I said too much." Monika cautiously backed off. "I'm sorry…what do I know, anyway? I didn't mean to jump to conclusions, so you should just forget about what I said. I'll try to talk to her, so try not to think about it for now."

"…" James nodded in appreciation. Monika went over to Sayori, and James closed his eyes, trying hopelessly to forget.

"Hey, you." A voice forced his attention. He opened his eyes to see Natsuki, looking up at him with curious concern.

"…"

"Are you just gonna stand there and keep staring at nothing?" Natsuki accused. "There isn't that much time, so…"

"…I see." James answered her simply.

"…I-It's not like I'm worried!" Natsuki suddenly shouted out, blushing, much to James's annoyance. "I was just…" She glanced down at the volume of manga in her hand.

"…I understand." James began to move toward their preferred position.

"Jeez, now you're making me feel like a jerk." Natsuki crossed her arms uncomfortably. "If something's bothering you, then you can just tell me to leave you alone, and I will. I mean…" She looked away with no small degree of concern. "Assuming you didn't feel like talking about it or anything."

"…Don't worry about it." James tried to assure her. "Sayori is just…"

"S-Sayori..!" Natsuki interrupted him, a look of jealous shock on her face.

"…She's too quiet. It's…concerning." James informed her, unamused at being interrupted.

"O-Oh." Natsuki relaxed. "Well, first of all…" She then became very serious. "You should be clearer before you say something like that!"

"…"

"But anyway…" She relaxed again. "You're her best friend, right?"

"…Sort of?" James shrugged. He knew he was Sayori's best friend. However, he had yet to properly label Sayori for himself. She was his…what? Certainly, there was a word for it; he was learning many new ones every day. Associate. Acquaintance. Pet. One of those words might be correct.

"Yeah. Then in that case, I think you should trust her a little more." Natsuki suggested. "If she needed you, then you would be the first person she would go to, right?"

"…Probably."

"I mean, some people just have those days." She noted. "You can't always avoid it. If anything, she probably doesn't want you to worry about her because it's not important."

"…Perhaps." James relented.

"Don't worry. If she needs you, then it'll be a lot more obvious."

"…" James looked away in thought.

Natsuki fiddled with her book, also looking away, but in embarrassment and jealously. "She really means a lot to you, doesn't she…?"

James looked back at Natsuki. "She was the first person who claimed to be a friend." He clarified. "That's not something I can ignore."

"That's…That's really enduring, that loyalty you have to a friend. You know that?" Natsuki smiled sweetly.

"…I suppose." James looked off again.

"Well, let's not wait any longer!" She demanded. Oddly, he thought he heard something about then. It was across the room, but he chose to ignore it for now and think about it later.

"Fine." James sat with her again, reading odd, exaggerated stories based on this century's social structure. It was oddly enlightening to see examples of how people might behave, and oddly comforting to hear the girl next to him laugh. Though within an hour, it was already over.

"Okay, everyone!" Monika called for the day. "Why don't we share our poems now?"

James went toward Sayori first. Solely because he liked consistency. He handed his poem over to her. She was still so quiet.

_**the Answer** _

_Remember  
_ _After the time  
_ _World is Down  
_ _The Bloody Honey Cannot Stop  
_ _Afterimage  
_ _I Can See All  
_ _Turn it Around  
_ _Water Down  
_ _Great Wall  
_ _Match the Bottom  
_ _Spirit of Motherwill  
_ _Fade away  
_ _Thinker  
_ _Scorcher  
_ _Someone is Always Moving on the Surface  
_ _Welcome to the Earth_

"…" Sayori wasn't really reading it. "…Hm." She held a dreadfully hollow look. "It's nice, I guess…"

"…Hmm." James only hummed. He also wasn't concerned with the state of his poem.

"But…You don't need to worry about what I think." Sayori smiled softly up at him. It was still just a lie though. "After all, you wrote this for someone else, didn't you? Probably Natsuki…"

"…That's not entirely accurate." There was something he found admirable in all the girl's writing styles. It was just that Natsuki's style was the easiest to emulate for a novice like himself.

"Maybe, that's not really what I meant though." She clarified. "But it's okay. You're making new friends, just like I was hoping. That makes me…really happy. And you're happy too, right? In this club?" She asked earnestly.

"…I'm…satisfied."

"Good. That's all that matters to me." She looked at him intently. Though smiling, her eyes were grim. Hopeless. Agonized. "Thank you, James."

"…" He looked at her with doubt and concern.

"Listen…Don't…Worry about me. You can go play with everyone else now." She forced that thought through.

"…"

"I'm gonna go home a little bit early today."

"…Hmm?" James hummed at her in slight confusion.

"Tell Monika I wasn't feeling well, okay? I'll see you tomorrow~" She then left the classroom before he could think of anything to say. The joy she showed on the way out was absolutely forced. However, there was nothing to do now. Perhaps he should confront her when he got home.

After a few moments, Natsuki approached him eagerly. "Let's see, let's see!" She asked in anticipation of his poem.

"Oh?" James gave as a response.

"Well, you know I like your writing." She informed him.

"Hmm."

After she finished with his poem, there was a change in her attitude. Some thought must have come to her.

"Hey, um. Please just tell me you like my poems. I don't care if you hate them. Just please tell me I'm the best." She begged him with a worried and sad blush. "I just…I just really need to hear that from someone. I know I sound stupid. But there's a reason I never shared my poems before this."

"…"

"Because…because nobody ever takes me seriously!" Natsuki turned, embarrassed at admitting that. "What's the point in sharing my poems if people just laugh and say 'That's so cute, just like you Natsuki!'"

 _Wait a second_. Thought James. _Isn't that something_ _Sayori has said_?

"Sometimes, I don't want to be cute! But nobody understands that!" She explained her feelings. "I try really hard when I write. The style doesn't matter. The emotions are there."

Natsuki turned back to James, both serious and embarrassed. "Why can't anyone _see_ that…? I just want…"

She looked away again. Fist clenched tightly, around her poem for the day.

"…" James didn't exactly know what to say, but maybe if he read her newest poem and commented usefully, she would appreciate that. He gently reached for the poem and managed to take it.

"D-Don't read it!" Natsuki snatched the poem back with a bright blush. "It's not any good. And I know you hate my poems. So you don't have to read this one, okay?"

"…" James sighed loudly. The girls were being unusual today. "I. Want to. Read it." He spoke gently.

"W-Why?" It was more of a whimper than a question.

"…Because." James's head cocked curiously. "I like reading your poems. They're…different. Unique. A way of using words I'm unfamiliar with."

Natsuki turned again, extremely embarrassed, unable to meet his eyes; she set her poem on the table.

"You can…read it. Just turn that way." Natsuki whispered sharply. "I don't want you to…look at my face right now."

"…?" Such a strange girl. It was just a poem. Why would she be so embarrassed…!

_**Because You** _

_Tomorrow will be brighter with me around  
But when today is dim, I can only look down.  
My looking is a little more forward  
Because you look at me._

_When I want to say something, I say it with a shout!  
But my truest feelings can never come out.  
My words are a little less empty  
Because you listen to me._

_When something is above me, I reach for the stars.  
But when I feel small, I don't get very far.  
My standing is a little bit taller  
Because you sit with me._

_I believe in myself with all of my heart.  
But what do I do when it's torn all apart?  
My faith is a little bit stronger  
Because you trusted me._

_My pen always puts my feelings to the test.  
I'm not a good writer, but my best is my best._

_My poems are a little bit dearer  
Because you think of me._

_Because you, because you, because you._

_Oh no_. James thought.

 _Oh fuck_. Strayed thought, of all the things it could have been, it was a _love poem_ , to him.

_Strayed. What do we do!_

_What! Why are you asking me? You can't accept this! The closer she is, the more likely we are to accidentally snap her neck_.

_But I can't deny it either. Something tells me she will be really hurt if I say anything bad. And I can't simply ignore this one, she knows I'm not that stupid._

_Fine! But we don't have much time…wait! Look! Look at her hand!_

Clenched nervously in her hand was another piece of paper.

_Perfect! She wouldn't have given this poem to the girls. She wrote a second poem!_

_Right! You get in position. I'll disrupt her mind and change out the poem. The rest is on you._

_Got it!_

"Hey, Natsuki." James smiled sweetly down at her. When she turned, she found his right hand raised, resting softly on her face. The fact that his index and middle fingers where reaching for her temple did not cross her mind.

Just because James wasn't interested in seducing these girls, didn't mean he was ignorant in _how_ to seduce them. Though it was a lie, his smile and touch felt genuine to Natsuki. Her breath hitched as a small fantasy played in her mind. A small part of her pleading that he would crouch down to her height, pull her close, feeling his breath on her face, and…

Then everything went dark.

Untrained and unprotected, it was a simple effort for Strayed to force a mental override into Natsuki's brain, freezing her motor control and knocking her unconscious. Forcing its way into her short-term memory, it wiped as much from the last few seconds as it safely could. Anymore tearing would affect how her mind interpreted memory.

With Natsuki effectively comatose, it then took the poem from her hand then placed the love poem back in it.

_There, the rest is up to you, she should wake up in about ten seconds._

James gave an appreciated thought to Strayed's efforts. He then read Natsuki's secondary poem.

_**I'll Be Your Beach** _

_Your mind is so full of troubles and fears  
That diminished your wonder over the years  
But today I have a special place  
A beach for us to go._

_A shore reaching beyond your sight  
A sea that sparkles with brilliant light  
The walls in your mind will melt away  
Before the sunny glow._

_I'll be the beach that washes your worries away  
I'll be the beach that you daydream about each day  
I'll be the beach that makes your heart leap  
In a way you thought had left you long ago._

_Let's bury your heavy thoughts in a pile of sand  
Bathe in sunbeams and hold my hand  
Wash your insecurities in the salty sea  
And let me see you shine._

_Let's leave your memories in a footprint trail  
Set you free in my windy sail  
And remember the reasons you're wonderful  
When you press your lips to mine._

_I'll be the beach that washes your worries away  
I'll be the beach that you daydream about each day  
I'll be the beach that makes your heart leap  
In a way you thought had left you long ago._

_But if you let me by your side  
Your own beach, your own escape  
You'll learn to love yourself again._

_Ah_. It seemed she was of one mind today. Still, this one was much more generalized, not as specifically addressed to him.

James then turned to Natsuki as she woke up from her forced nap.

Darkness. A hundred red eyes on a bird-like head. A stench of death. A cacophony of endless screaming, wailing, pleading, begging, and crying. A black claw dragging across her flesh. Her own cries joining the chorus of the dammed. And the worst part. The worst part. The worst part. **IT** barely even touched her.

Natsuki awoke with a start. She breathed heavily, looking around fearfully. The club. Her friends. The place she felt safe. She was safe from that little, terrible, nightmare. In front of her, a tall boy. A boy she wrote a poem for. A boy she liked.

She had just given him a very special poem. Maybe the most important poem she had ever written. Now, all he needed to do was understand it, and give her an answer. She raised her hand to her cheek, a feeling of warmth without memory. Her skin felt tingly, and her heart quickened at what it could mean. However, no matter how hard she tried to remember, all she could think of where those red eyes, and a raised claw, shaking, telling her very clearly, "no".

"Ah, Natsuki." James turned to her, smiling kindly. "This is a really good poem. I like it." He then turned it so she could see that it was…her second poem.

"W-What!" Natsuki shouted. She unfolded the poem in her hand, and sure enough, it was her love poem to him. She had put so much effort, so much heart into it, and she had somehow given him the wrong poem. At the very least, that meant he couldn't deny her, but she had still screwed up. It had taken her all week to muster up the courage, and put it into a poem, and he hadn't even seen it. She was simultaneously relieved and devastated.

"I-I-I!" She snatched her secondary poem from his hand. "I have to use the bathroom!" She shouted suddenly. Running off so on one could see her. She had wanted so badly to get an answer from him. To feel his warmth and promises as he held her close. Now, she would have to wait to get that answer.

That certainly went better than expected. For James at least. Natsuki was a nice girl, but he wasn't looking for a relationship. Besides, he wasn't really sure how to treat his new friends most of the time, let alone someone who was more than a friend. Sure, he had encounters with female Lynx, but those tended to be long, violent, brief affairs; which would both disappoint and kill these girls. The one, true relationship he did have…he didn't want to think about it.

Next, Monika approached him. Though there was an odd look to her. Somewhere between guilt and glee. It was too difficult to interpret.

"Hi James!" She announced. "Have you thought about what you want to submit to perform at the festival?"

"Probably yesterday's poem. It's the shortest and easiest to get through."

"Alright. I have to admit that one is very good." Monika replied in understanding. "Anyway, let's take a look at today's poem!"

James quietly handed his poem over.

"…" Monika kept her expression but gave a quiet sigh. "Sticking with the Natsuki style once more, I see~" She closed her eyes, mildly humored. "Hmm. You really like Natsuki, don't you?"

James narrowed his eyes at her, absolutely livid. "…Really?" Monika was rather brave, however, to ignore his furious gaze.

"Oh, come on, James." She smiled brightly, leaning forward in that annoying way she did when she was quietly trying to share more of her figure. "It's awfully suspicious, you know? Spending time with her in the clubroom every day, pretending to like the manga that she's into…"

James hated it when people assumed his position on things. He hated it when they thought he was Line Ark garbage; hated it when they thought he was a greedy, contract seeking Lynx; hated it when they thought he was a radial ORCA terrorist. He could rarely control the circumstances of his fate, only fight his way, regardless of what people thought. That didn't mean he'd allow this insult to stand.

He rubbed his eyes tiredly, before looking back at Monika, and with a quick sigh, he rushed. In a moment, he was nearly on top of Monika, so close he could breathe down her ear. Monika flinched back but was stopped by the desk behind her. He leaned down, closer, to whisper at her.

"If I really liked a girl, I wouldn't be so calm about you insinuating things about her." His voice was level, calm. "And yeah, maybe I do pretend to like manga, but I still give it the same apt attention I give to working contracts." He backed away from Monika, who had been simultaneously terrified and aroused at his sudden closeness. "I have a lot of respect for Natsuki. As for my poems, her style is just the easiest to emulate for someone of my…inexperience."

"I see…I'm…sorry I assumed too much." Monika forced herself to calm down. "Still, just…be careful, please?" She pleaded honestly. "Natsuki is kind of unpredictable. A lot of times, she doesn't even know what she wants. After all, she's the youngest one here. She might not know how to handle her own feelings properly. What I'm saying is…If something bad happens, then it could end up damaging the club, too…And you wouldn't do that to me…right?"

James rubbed his eyes in annoyance again. "I'll concede you are not wrong about Natsuki. I'll be careful with her. Although…" James looked up at her. "…If you think I'm just here to chase tail then you are sorely mistaken."

"Ah, so do I still have a chance then?" Monika cocked her head sweetly.

"…" James shut himself up. In this case he was still inexperienced in dealing with people, let alone love deprived young women who knew how to twist his words without his permission. Giving Monika anything more to think would be a dangerous game he was not prepared to play. Monika giggled, cruelly in this case.

"Anyway. I'll share my poem with you now, alright?" Monika handed him a paper, which he accepted with a nod.

_**The Lady who Knows Everything** _

_An old tale tells of a lady who wanders Earth.  
The Lady who Knows Everything.  
A beautiful lady who has found every answer,  
All meaning,  
All purpose,  
And all that was ever sought._

_And here I am,_

_a feather_

_Lost adrift the sky, victim of the currents of the wind._

_Day after day, I search.  
I search with little hope, knowing legends don't exist.  
But when all else has failed me,  
When all others have turned away,  
The legend is all that remains – the last dim star glimmering in the twilit sky._

_Until one day, the wind ceases to blow.  
I fall.  
And I fall and fall, and fall even more.  
Gentle as a feather.  
A dry quill, expressionless._

_But a hand catches me, between the thumb and forefinger.  
The hand of a beautiful lady.  
I look at her eyes and find no end to her gaze._

_The Lady who Knows Everything knows what I am thinking.  
Before I can speak, she responds in a hollow voice.  
"I have found every answer, all of which amount to nothing.  
There is no meaning.  
There is no purpose.  
And we seek only the impossible.  
I am not your legend.  
Your legend does not exist."_

_And with a breath, she blows me back afloat, and I pick up a gust of wind_.

"…" Once again, Monika seemed really obsessed with this existential crap. He was already enough of a walking contradiction, being a Lynx and what he had done. He didn't need to question the greater meaning of reality. He was a simple boy really, just working to complete contracts.

"You know…" Monika spoke up when it was apparent he had finished reading. "I feel like learning and looking for answers are the sorts of things that give life meaning."

Maybe that was true, because otherwise, life existed to be destroyed by Lynx kind. Both statements were inherently true, as James could personally attest to the latter.

"Not to get too philosophical or anything…" Monika explained. "But it was kind of on my mind, so that's what I wrote about."

"…I see."

"In a way, it's almost paradoxical." She continued, entranced by her thoughts. "Because if we had all the answers, wouldn't the world start to lose its meaning?"

"…" James could only sigh at her. She was really interested in questioning the nature of reality and the meaning of her existence, both questions a Lynx diametrically opposed by intended programming. Talking to her was extremely taxing on his psyche. So much so he wondered if it was a phycological warfare tactic.

"Anyhow, thanks for sharing with me." Monika informed him with a smile, turning to greet Natsuki who had returned to the club at about that time. James then turned to Yuri.

"…" Yuri wasn't really interested in talking to him at that moment. He recalled his memory for a moment, using things Strayed had noticed.

 _Ah_. Right when he was wiping Natsuki's short-term memory, Yuri had glanced in their direction. He supposed his hand on her face could be interpreted as more than just an act of psychic warfare. Well, whatever, there was a good chance Yuri had written something intentionally disturbing, which may or may not trigger a memory of the twenty-fifth century. It wasn't a matter of great concern to him.

After a moment to trade poems with Natsuki, Monika returned to the front of the classroom to address the club.

"…Okay, you three! We're all done sharing poems, right? Why don't we start figuring out-" She was then cut off.

"Hold on a second!" Natsuki noticed. "Is it just me, or did you say something strange just now?"

"Eh…?" Monika paused.

"Something did sound a bit unusual…" Yuri spoke up. "That's right. You deviated from your usual catchphrase when addressing the club."

"C-Catchphrase?" Monika questioned. "I don't have a catchphrase…"

"Jeez…" Natsuki sighed loudly. "Why is the mood so weird today? Look, even Yuri isn't immune to it."

"Uu.." Yuri moaned ominously. "Stagnating air is common foreshadowing that something terrible is about to happen."

 _They can't possibly be fucking serious…can they?_ Strayed questioned disconcertingly.

James looked back and forth between Natsuki and Yuri with impeccable annoyance. He gestured to the room, which currently only contained four people. Four people. That he counted. Using his eyes. Right now. In that room.

"…Sayori left early. You two didn't f-, notice?" James intentionally censored himself. He was really annoyed, more so than usual, but that didn't mean he had to always respond rudely.

"Ah…" Yuri finally noticed. "…It seems you're right."

"…" Monika sighed very loudly. "Sayori always helps lighten the mood a little bit, doesn't she? It's almost like everyone's balance is thrown off a little when she's not around…"

"Where the heck did she run off to, anyway?" Natsuki questioned. "I thought she just went to pee."

"Natsuki, please show some decency…" Yuri chastised her.

"Oh, come on!" For whatever reason she raised her voice in challenge.

"She went home early. Wasn't feeling well." James explained quickly.

"Is that so…?" Yuri asked quietly. "I hope she's alright…"

"Seriously?" Natsuki questioned him. "Of all the times to not go home with her, you pick the time she's not feeling well? So much for you two being all lovey-dovey."

"…" James looked at Natsuki with a really offended expression. He had just gone home those last few days, the fact that Sayori had followed him was not worth mentioning.

"…" Yuri gave a curious coo. With the expression she held it did not bode well in the slightest.

"Calm down guys." Monika spoke up then. "I talked to her earlier, and everything is fine. Anyway, we need to figure out the rest of the festival preparations, so lets decide what everyone is doing this weekend."

"I already know what _I'm_ doing!" Natsuki announced.

"That's right." Monika agreed instantly. "Natsuki will be making cupcakes. But we might need a lot of them, and different flavors…Can you handle that all by yourself, Natsuki?"

"Challenge accepted!" Natsuki smiled confidently.

"And as for myself, I'm going to be printing and assembling all the poetry pamphlets. Sayori will be helping me design them. And as for Yuri…" Monika paused in thought. "Yuri you can…"

"…?" Even Natsuki looked confused by Monika's sudden pause.

"Guys…" Monika smiled sweetly. "Can you help me come up with something for Yuri…?"

"I…I'm useless…" Yuri lamented.

"N-No!" Monika turned to her. "That's not it at all! You're the most talented person here, you know!"

"…" Natsuki gave a huff of annoyance.

 _Excuse me, what is your kill count_? Strayed also asked in annoyance, though without voicing so. James's head dropped with his eyes openly glaring at Monika.

"N-Now Natsuki and James are pouting, too?" Monika commented to herself. She took a moment to compose herself. "Alright, so, Yuri…! You have beautiful handwriting, you know? So you should make some banners and decorations to help set the atmosphere." Monika suggested.

James deadpanned at her suggestion, as "banners and decorations" translated to his understanding correctly. "Atmosphere", however, translated literally. How was Yuri supposed to change the atmospheric composition of the club? He could guess how, but it seemed rather excessive to install an airlock and change the volume of air with a different composition.

"Atmosphere…?" Yuri looked up, giving the thought consideration. "Um, about that…I…I love atmosphere!" She shouted confidently.

"…" James's head hurt. _Yes. Everyone likes to breathe._ In James's experience, citizens had to pay a "clean air tax", that was, the cost to purify air to make it safe to breathe.

"That's great! You'll be a wonderful help, Yuri." Monika assured her. "But anyway, that just leaves you, James."

 _Yes!_ How would his president have him contribute? Espionage? Assassination? Sabotage? Security? Surveillance? Kidnapping? Interrogation? Intimidation? Would she have him wage open or secret war with the other clubs for dominance? Perhaps even, wipe them from existence? Such things were well within his capabilities.

"Both Natsuki and Yuri have some pretty heavy tasks to handle. It would probably go a long way to give one of them a hand." Monika suggested.

 _Fuck. Oh, right_. He had joined this club through only a verbal contract. He had not been required to list a resume of his available skill sets, and would probably not have listed all of those he had just thought of if he had needed too. Still, that meant he had been given the task of…

"…Secondary logistical support…." He muttered. Even the corporations had utilized his capabilities better while openly insulting him.

"You could always help me out, as well…" Monika blushed as she suggested that. "I would be really appreciative of that."

"…" James gave her a deadpanned look, somehow finding himself double insulted.

"Ah…" Yuri moaned out. "I…suppose I wouldn't mind a bit of help…"

"Well, even if you don't know how to bake, there's always some dirty work I could give you." Natsuki suggested. James doubted it was the same as _his_ dirty work. "It's not like Monika's going to give me a choice, and you shouldn't be sitting on your butt anyway…"

James knew Natsuki well enough at this point to accurately interpret her statement as, " _Please help me I want to spend even more time with you_."

"Um…If I recall, Natsuki." Yuri suddenly began to point out. "You mentioned that you would like to handle the baking on your own. James may not like to be around if you only make him out to be a nuisance. So therefore, he may be more suited to assisting with the decorations."

Personality, he didn't like where any of this was going. _This deal is getting worse all the time!_

"Hold on! I never said that!" Natsuki argued. "How hard could it be to make a few decorations, anyway? Sounds more like you're just making excuses for James to-"

"W-What are you saying?!" Yuri cried embarrassed. "It will be extremely meticulous work-"

"And baking isn't?" Questioned Natsuki. "Just what do you think-"

"Guys, guys!" Monika pleaded. "Lets settle down for a moment…In the end, I think it's up to James to decide how he'd like to contribute. Besides…he hasn't really gotten the chance to spend any time with me yet, you know? So I'm sure he's interested in-"

"You literally just said-!" complained Natsuki.

"I-I'm surprised as well!" Yuri agreed.

"Sorry, sorry!" Monika tried to dismiss. "I was just saying, though…"

"Jeez, can we just settle this already?" Natsuki requested.

"Yeah…" Monika agreed. "James, you're okay with this, right? In the end, it's up to you."

Everyone looked at him, and James, stuck in the position, considered his options.

First, the pros. Monika was just going to print things. She didn't need his help at all. Yuri was making decorations, which he did have plenty of experience in, seeing as NEXT customization was one thing all Lynx shared. Natsuki, however, was going to bake. Something he had no experience in but would be interested to learn.

Next, he considered the cons, which were very simple. Compiling the details of each girl, the look in their eyes, the smell of their hormones, the postures they held; he assessed which girl was most dangerous to him. Running a "worst case scenario" in his head for each of them, he guessed what might happen to himself if he was alone with them.

**/SIMULATION COMPLETE**

**/MONIKA: SEXUAL ASSAULT**

**/YURI: ADVANCED SEXUAL ASSAULT**

**/NATSUKI: REGULAR ASSAULT**

"…" Alright then.

"I don't have much experience in baking. It's something I would like to learn." James announced.

Natsuki looked excited. Monika didn't change her expression; in fact she had probably expected such an outcome. Yuri looked disappointed, with her jaw hanging slightly open.

"Don't worry!" Natsuki eagerly shouted. "Baking is a ton of fun! You'll definitely agree!"

"Eh?" Monika suddenly questioned. "Just a minute ago you were saying that-"

"Th-That's because-!" Natsuki tried to defend. "…Never mind, okay?"

"Well , anyway." Monika dropped the issue. "You'll be fine by yourself, right, Yuri?"

"Of course." Yuri was still disappointed and was going to make sure everyone knew it. "I'm used to it, after all…"

There was a long pause between them.

"That's…good…" Monika awkwardly accepted the answer. Even Natsuki looked guilty for making Yuri spend the weekend alone. James on the other hand wasn't in the slightest bothered by it. For whatever reason, Yuri stood out to him as the most actively dangerous one in the group. Maybe it was the silent but deadly stereotype? Or was that something else?

"So, that's everything, right?" Natsuki asked for clarification. "Anything else we need to talk about?"

"No, I think that's it…" Monika announced. "Are you guys excited?"

"Yes!" Natsuki smiled widely. "Everything except the performance is gonna be awesome!"

"What about you, James?" Monika asked of him.

"Hmm. I'm curious to see what happens." James informed her.

"That's good enough for me!" Happily shouted Monika. "What about you, Yuri?...Yuri?"

"…" Yuri had gone deep into her thoughts and was currently unreachable.

"She's still sulking." Natsuki commented.

"…" Yuri turned embarrassed, showing at least that she was still listening.

"…" Natsuki also turned uncomfortably, not happy that a friend was being that way. "It's not…I mean, it's not that big of a deal or anything…"

"…" James sighed. He had something of an idea of what was happening but wasn't currently obligated to do anything about it.

Instead, Natsuki stood in front of Yuri, putting her hands on her shoulders. "Look Yuri. You really are the most talented one here." Strayed gave a disapproving growl, but otherwise stayed quiet. Natsuki continued. "And you're going to help make the event a lot more fun and welcoming. I mean, the cupcakes will probably help a lot too…but you're gonna make the atmosphere special. That'll be really important for the way that people feel during the performances. So…You need to stop being dumb and give yourself a little more credit!" She then turned away from her.

"…You didn't…really mean that, did you?" Yuri asked reluctantly, unused to the praise by her rival.

"Um…N-Not really, but…" Natsuki tried to dismiss it, but it was clear she had meant to be supportive. Monika was also taken aback, though James just sat back, more curious than anything. It sounded like…something Sayori would say, if Sayori was passive-aggressive that is.

"I'm sorry…for being dumb." Yuri apologized quietly. "I'm going to do my best. And all of us are going to make it a really great event." She stated with quiet confidence.

"Yeah." Natsuki and Monika said one after another.

"I hope to see everyone do their best. But with that…there's nothing more for today. So I guess it's time for us to head out." Monika announced.

"Okay, but I'm staying here a bit longer. I barely got to do any reading today, so…" Natsuki informed her.

"Fair enough, there's nothing wrong with that." Monika noted. Sans Natsuki, everyone else packed up and went to leave. Before he could get out the door, he felt a hand grab at his back.

"Um, where are you going?" Natsuki interrogated him.

"…?"

"We still need to figure out our plans for this weekend." She then informed him. "You literally would've gotten home and realized that you didn't even have a way to contact me."

"…Huh." Normally he caught that sort of thing. Why was he so distracted at the moment?

"Jeez, good thing I stopped you. I'm giving you my number, okay? You'd better not make it weird or anything!" She accused him suddenly.

James frowned but nodded. Admittedly it was in her nature to be this defensive…for some reason. They traded numbers…though James noticed Natsuki's phone seemed to be a much older model, while Natsuki failed to notice the advanced design of his phone, attributing it to a specialized case.

"Okay, I'm coming over on Sunday." She attempted to set. However, James remembered something.

"Waaaaaait…." His voice rolled slowly. "I cannot…accept visitors."

"WHA-! And you're telling me now!" Natsuki shouted at him.

"Admittedly I thought I would come to help you bake."

"N-NO! No way!" Natsuki jumped in a panic. "My dad would kill me if I brought a boy over."

"Hmm…" James thought. "I could ask Sayori to borrow her kitchen?"

"That's…" Natsuki cringed, uncomfortable and disappointed. "…Better. If she accepts."

"I'll…convince her." James assured her.

"How?"

James frowned. "I imagine bribery."

Natsuki snickered. "Ha. Alright. I'll bring all the ingredients. We have each other's numbers now. That's all I needed from you. I guess I'll text you when I'm coming over."

"Very well." James affirmed.

"I'm really gonna show you why I love baking so much." Natsuki smiled. "So you'd better look forward to it."

James cocked his head at her. "Didn't you say you would have me do all the _dirty work_?" Though his definition for that was a little different, it was understood.

"Well-!" Natsuki blushed uncomfortably. "I was…just saying that. It's not like I could act like…in front of everyone…That I was looking forward to this"

James sighed quietly. He almost forgot; this was the same girl that almost forced him into the uncomfortable position of answering to a love poem. Perhaps choosing to assist her had been a mistake.

"…Is that so?" He asked her.

"Well, kind of!" She abrasively answered. "Just because…I never got to bake with someone else before." She answered with a half-truth. "That's all it is, so…"

"…Hmm." James hummed in response. "I'll be leaving now. See you Sunday."

"Ah…" Natsuki blushed and looked away. "…Never mind."

"…"

* * *

Something had been bothering him for a while. And no, it was not the absence of Sayori. He was used to being alone.

He had heard something while in the club. It triggered something like an alert, but he didn't understand why. He had been going through his memory that day, looking for the moment. Then he found it…sort of.

It was at the moment when Natsuki had said "Well, let's not wait any longer!", but that wasn't it. Going through it, he realized it wasn't what Natsuki had said, it was the moment afterward.

**/MEMORY/DIALOG:**

**/NATSUKI:** Well, let's not wait any longer!

 **/UNKNOWN:** [][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][]

 _What does that say_? James thought to his partner.

 _Let's clean it up_. Strayed responded.

**/VOICE ANALYSIS ACTIVE**

**/. . .**

**/UNKNOWN:** …b[][][][][]f[][][]k[][][][][][][][][]s[][][]

**/. . .**

**/UNKNOWN:** …b[][]a[]if[][][]k[]l[][]d y[][]rs[][][]

**/. . .**

**/UNKNOWN:** …be[]ad if[]o[]k[]l[][]d y[][]rs[]lf

**/ANALYSIS COMPLETE:**

**/MONIKA:** …be sad if you killed yourself.

…

James stopped walking for a moment. That was a very odd thing to say in any conversation. He remembered that at that moment, Monika had been talking to Sayori.

_What the fuck. Strayed? Is there anymore audio we have from their conversation?_

_…Nothing. It was either too quiet or we were in a conversation at that time._

It could have meant anything. It was too hard to tell with just a single, partial line of an entire conversation. Still, he needed to ask Sayori for a favor, so he continued walking.

Only a sliver of doubt in his mind.

* * *

Knocking on her door, James waited patiently while Sayori came down to open it.

"…" She looked at him with mild agitation and a large degree of confusion. "…Come in."

James entered her home and sat down on her couch. The thought of what he had remembered still on his mind. He didn't know what, or if, he should bring that up. But he had an objective that needed fulfillment.

"So…what's up? Sayori asked.

"I need to ask a favor…but you won't be happy about it." James calmly answered.

"Okay…what is it?"

"…I need to borrow your kitchen Sunday…"

"Oh, that's it? Pff that's fine." She immediately dismissed it.

"…with Natsuki." James finished his question, fully expecting what came next.

Sayori lost her polite demeanor. Her fists clenched, teeth grit. A brief moment of genuine anger flashed on her eyes.

"…Sure…yeah…nothing wrong with that." Sayori forced the words out, refusing to meet his gaze. "How come you have to use mine though?" The question came out accusingly.

"I cannot have visitors." Was the simplest reply. He didn't want to explain to her or Natsuki that he was living so basically because he neither cared nor understood the comforts of this century. His home contained only weapons, supplies, and equipment. He'd been eating surplus bought MRE's for months. The only difference was that the MRE's were local, so he had the pleasure of not eating people anymore.

Sayori pouted at his answer, sitting silently across from him. James sighed loudly.

"What do you want?"

"…?" Sayori turned only slightly in his direction.

"What do you want, to make it up to you?" He asked again.

"Hmm…" Sayori quietly hummed, rubbing her chin. "I want a pizza. No, two pizzas. And ice cream. And…um…a small loan?"

James sighed, pulling out his phone to order her request. He also pulled a 2000 Yen note and passed it to her.

"A-And!" Sayori added. "I want you to…spend the rest of the day with me?" She shyly begged.

"…" James sighed.

. . .

Several hours later, Sayori had forcibly fallen asleep on his shoulder on the couch. He was split between ignoring her and ignoring the television. He wouldn't have to worry about Sayori's parents since she didn't live with them. The best answer he had for that, from things she said here and there, was that they were busy and had moved away, leaving her this place to live in until she finished high school at least.

They, or rather, she, had been talking through the night as they shared the food he had bought. She had brightened up greatly this evening, as opposed to how she had been in school. That was, somewhat comforting to him. Seeing her smile again.

He looked to the clock to see it was almost midnight. He'd lost quite a few hours from his work but ignored it. He still had more than a day until Natsuki would show up. He stood up and turned, picking up the smaller girl and taking her to her room.

Her room was a minor mess. A few scattered articles of clothes, some paper on the floor, her bed never made. Two windows, a cabinet, two shelves, her desk, and a closet behind him by the door. What stood out the most however was the three-foot-tall black and white mass that stood at the end of her bed. His eyes had bulged out the first time he'd seen the weird blob, and her answer had not made any sense until much later.

"Oh, that's Mister Cow!" She had told him with a wide grin and sweet laugh. That was just a few months before. Now he carried the exhausted girl and slotted her into her bed, pulling her sheet over her and turning to leave. Her hand shot out and grabbed his arm to stop him.

A moment of terrible memory came to mind, but he relaxed. He turned to her, hoping she might finally let him go.

"Please…stay for a…bit longer…until I'm asleep." He knew he shouldn't accommodate her any further, but that didn't stop him from turning his back to her cabinet and sitting on the ground by her bed. She was fast asleep within the next few minutes, but he continued to sit. He'd lost so much work for the night already, what was a few hours more when he had no deadline to meet?

He was worried, even if he'd never admit it. Somehow, he cared, even if he'd never vocalize it. He simply had an obligation to see this thought, to what ends he'd go for that, he was uncertain. He sat for a few hours at Sayori's side, thinking about the past week. It was exhausting, talking to girls and keeping them at a safe distance away from himself. Writing poems without a clear direction. Managing the fact that he'd accidently damned himself and now had four hearts pursuing his own, cold, twin pumps.

He stopped thinking when the first rays of sunshine shot him in the eye. He stood and turned, looking back down at Sayori. She smiled serenely in her sleep. James cocked his head curiously, doing his best to burn that smile into his memory. Pointlessly hoping it might replace the countless memories of screaming.

With nothing more he turned and went home. He had at least a full day until he should prepare for Natsuki's arrival. He intended to work until that time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Authors Note: James's poem in this chapter is random song names from Armored Core 4 and Armored Core for Answer. Please feel free to let me know what you think of this work.


	6. Hard Reset

Sunday Morning

He'd been working nearly non-stop for an entire day, pausing barely to eat. The results were minimal at best, but within expectations. With the hour approaching, he had taken a shower and dressed casually.

Showering privately with warm water was a personal miracle to him. All bathing in his century took place in guarded, public stalls, each of which sprayed about ten seconds worth of recycled greywater.

Throughout Saturday, Natsuki had been texting him nonstop. Going on and on with questions he had answered vaguely and getting strange response combinations like a colon and closed parentheses. Or the less-than bracket and the number three. As well as complaining about everything.

He decided to visit Sayori again, since he was going to be there for awhile. Though he knocked, she didn't answer. Undeterred, he let himself in. He didn't break her door or even use a special universal key that he had, the door was unlocked. Oddly, he had to go all the way to her room to find her.

"Hi James~" Sayori greeted kindly.

"…Sayori."

"So…what's up? Why come visit me today?"

"Did you forget? I asked you Friday if I could come over." James calmly explained.

"Oh yeah…oh." A moment of realization came upon her and she lost a great deal of enthusiasm. "Just…nothing weird. Okay?"

"Of course." James took a moment to survey the room. It was just as shamelessly messy as it was two days prior.

"Ehehe, sorry about the mess…" She apologized when she noticed him looking around.

"So what are you doing for the festival?" James inquired.

"Oh, I'm helping Monika online. So I'll be up here doing that."

"Hmm." He hummed a light response. Then they were silent as Sayori avoided his gaze.

"…So…what has been going on? You've been acting oddly." James forced the question.

Sayori sighed. "That's no good. Why can't it just be like it's always been?" She asked out loud.

"…"

"This is all my fault." Sayori admitted. "If I didn't get so weak and accidently express my feelings..." She stopped pretending to smile. "If I didn't make that stupid mistake…Then you wouldn't be worried about me at all. You wouldn't have even been thinking about me right now."

"…"

"But this…is just my punishment, isn't it?" She asked to no one. "I'm getting punished for being so selfish. I think…it just wants to torture me. Ehehe~" Sayori then giggled in spite of whatever she was talking about.

"…" James knew he shouldn't be so silent. Yet he didn't know what to even begin asking. "What…are you talking about?"

"Ahaha…" Sayori nervously laughed. "Ah…You are really putting me on the spot. Nothing's wrong, I've always been like this. You are just seeing it for the first time." Sayori explained.

"…Why though?"

"It's because…because…" Sayori struggled. Considered heavily what she should say. "It's…nothing. Nothing at all. Don't worry about me!" She forced an uncomfortable smile.

She was hiding a lot from him, and she wouldn't say. He supposed he could force her to say what was bothering her, but that would be rude at best, and psychological torture at worst.

"Just…have fun okay? Don't worry about me. Have fun with Natsuki." Sayori assured him. "Just…don't…disturb me." She muttered under her breath. Was that a threat?

James raised a hand to place on Sayori's head but stopped. While there was certainly joy in her expression, there was something else. Fear. A small part of herself that she couldn't hide was absolutely terrified of a comforting touch. He thought he'd been used to seeing fear in so many eyes, but this time was different. This time it hurt.

He lowered his hand apprehensively, and after a moment Sayori gave him another false smile, conveying a need for privacy.

With nothing more to say, he left her room and waited in the common room. Within the hour, Natsuki arrived at the front door.

"…" James opened the door for Natsuki, taking only a very brief notice of her casual clothes and an unconscious weapons check.

"Sup?" Natsuki greeted.

"…Hello." He moved aside to allow her entry. "I see you brought a lot of stuff." He pointed to a large bag.

"Well, I didn't want to come all this way to find out Sayori's kitchen isn't equipped for the job." James nodded in agreement to that statement. "You bought everything I asked you to, right?"

"Yes." He had ordered it online and simply brought it over that morning.

"Good." Natsuki commented. "Glad I could count on you to do your part."

"…" A part of him had half expected an insult in there but was surprised when it wasn't.

"What, you're not even gonna offer to take this heavy bag from me?" She questioned when he had moved away. "Where's your hospitality, James?"

"…?" James didn't have a response to that and just took the bag without any effort.

"Well, lets get started, there's a lot of stuff I gotta teach you." Natsuki enthusiastically rushed to the kitchen. James followed curiously.

It hadn't taken long for the entire kitchen to be a mess. Items James didn't even know existed or had only seen in old-world scrap piles were used to prepare and make the cupcakes. Tools were too small, so they had to make them in batches. Many, many batches. Meanwhile, Natsuki was coaching his every movement for efficiency and productivity.

"James, where did you put the food coloring?" He was also learning concepts about food he had never considered. Like the idea that food could have it's color artificially changed. "The batter's going in the oven soon, so I need to fill the trays." Fortunately, he was a fast learner.

"It's still in the bag next to the table." He answered back.

"Okay. I'll be making each tray a different color." She stated proudly. "That way, even if the flavors aren't different, everyone can still pick their favorite."

"Is the icing being used similarly?"

"Do you want to?" Natsuki considered the idea.

"I…don't have a preference."

"Come on! You're not putting any heart into this at all!" She complained. "Can't you at least try to have fun?"

"…" They say fun, but what did that even mean? What did she want him to do? He watched inquisitively as she separated the batter into smaller bowls, then apply food coloring to each one.

"Huh."

"See? It's not like baking is just about following instructions." She explained. "The presentation is where you get to be creative and have the most fun. It's a million times more worth it in the end if just looking at it makes everyone's eyes lighten up."

"Like the ones you made when I joined the club?" James questioned. "Then I'll have to try as well."

"Sounds like you're starting to understand. Just make sure you completely finish mixing the icing before you mess with the food coloring."

"Understood." James said as he used a whisk to mix the icing in a large bowl.

"Eh? The icing's still all lumpy!" She complained. Then again it was his first time. "Are you even trying?"

"Yes?"

"Jeez, I'll be here all night if you do it like that." She scolded. "Here, look." She took the whisk and bowl and showed him a more effective technique. "You really need to…beat…the crap out of it!" She says this, not realizing James was constantly watching his strength in order not to break anything, herself included. However, her technique had proved more effective. "See?" She then stuck her finger in the icing and tasted it.

Coping her James did the same. Or, tried to.

"Hey!" Natsuki shouted, grabbing his wrist. "I don't want your gross fingers in my icing!" James was oddly insulted. He was probably physically cleaner than her, inside and out. In that sense he took it as a challenge.

"Is that so?" Then he kept reaching for the icing.

"Don't make me beat the crap out of you next!" Natsuki warned with a smile.

"Just try it." James challenged. He pushed carefully, knowing one wrong slip and he could maim or kill the smaller girl. Still, he was edged on by her provocations. Faking the struggle, he got his own finger into the icing. He had to stop though when Natsuki put all her strength into it, least he crush her. She still managed to cause a collision with her face and his finger.

"Gross! You got it on my face!" She then tried to lick it off, though it was too far. "Jeez, you know what! Take this!" She wiped it off and shoved it towards his face.

James forced his instincts to halt. Attempting to stop her might crush her wrist. So, he allowed himself to be assaulted.

"Ahahaha! I win!" Natsuki shouted victoriously. James forced himself to calm down. He had been just one wrong move from breaking her bones. He braced himself against the counter.

"Hey…" Natsuki sung sweetly. She reached over and wiped the frosting off his face…and put it in her mouth with a giggle. She came back closer and grabbed his arm, probably mistaking his terrified anxiety for sweet embarrassment.

 _…Shit_. He let himself get into a compromised position, within her height range. Forcing himself to escape could hurt her. Natsuki cocked her head sweetly, an excited smile on her face. Her breathing shallow, and a spike in her hormones signaled danger to him.

He didn't want this at all. He'd almost seriously hurt her three times now, just by being near her. Yet she kept getting closer, and he had no escape.

_Hey, idiot._

_Strayed?!_

_The oven. It's getting a little warm isn't it_?

James smelled the air, and sure enough there was a growing burning smell. He sniffed louder so Natsuki could hear.

"The…ovens…burning." James forced out. Natsuki noticed as well, and jumped from her position on his arm to attend to it. James stood back up to a safe height.

"*cough cough* Someone left a dirty tray in here!" She shouted. James shrugged. "Anyway…I'm…putting them in the oven now." She blushed awkwardly. James on the other hand was suddenly very thankful for Sayori's idle laziness and ability to create fire hazards.

Sometime later, and they were nearly done baking.

"Ahh, that smells so good!" Natsuki commented. She opened the oven and a wave of sweet-smelling air filled the room. "Look at how cute they all look! Now, I brought decorating stuff, so I hope you can get creative." She informed him. "Here, scoop the icing into these bags. I have these nozzles that will make it look nice and fluffy." She explained her plan. "This one can even make flowers! We probably won't be using it this time, though."

"Ah." James then noticed a longer nozzle. "What's that one?"

"That one's really thin, so you can use it to make stripes or other patterns. But you can also use it to write stuff on a cake. Like, 'happy birthday!' or whatever."

"Huh." _Write stuff_? And they were in a literature club. "I have an idea."

"Eh?"

"What if we…write words on the cupcakes?" James suggested.

"Uuhh…" Natsuki thought about it.

"…"

"I was kind of expecting you to say something really stupid…"

"…" James eyebrow rose, insulted.

"But that's actually…a really cute idea, so…" Natsuki blushed at admitting that.

"…Alright then." James agreed to it while Natsuki affixed the nozzles to the bags of icing.

"There's a lot to do, so we shouldn't be wasting time!" Natsuki asserted. "Here, I'll show you how to do it." She then demonstrates how to apply the icing. A good thing, since he might have otherwise popped a bag with his strength. They then finished the decorations within a half-hour.

Natsuki put each tray side by side to admire the work.

"Look at how pretty they are together!" Natsuki shouted, happy with her work.

"Hmm." James hummed in agreement, simply amazed that this was his first physical job that didn't kill someone.

"Uu…I wish I could have one now!" She complained.

"I mean. You could." James suggested. It was possible after all.

"Yeah, but…my dad's making dinner tonight, so I really need to save my appetite." She explained.

"…Sayori would eat ten then dinner." James responded. She had actually had the majority of the food from Friday. James ate just to not be awkward.

"Come on, that's just unhealthy!" Natsuki pouted in thought. "Besides, when my dad cooks, I need to eat as much of it as I can…Well anyway!" She interrupted herself. "I was hoping we would have time for manga, but I need to be home for dinner…"

"Ah." Only a small part of his mind regretted that. That part being the one that appreciated Sayori's presence.

"It's your fault for working so slowly!" She accused. "You should have thought about that. It's not like you'll always have this chance."

"…" _Chance?_

"You can bring the cupcakes tomorrow, right?" Natsuki asked. "If you and Sayori each carry some, then you can probably do it in one trip."

"Alright. And I'll keep her from eating any."

"Ahaha. I wish she would listen to me the way she listens to you."

"Ahuuu." James groaned. Sayori wasn't a pleasant thought at the moment.

"Okay, I'm all packed up." Natsuki announced. "Good work today."

"…" James nodded with a smile. He walked with Natsuki out of the house.

"Well…" Natsuki drew his attention. "I guess I'll be off, then…" Natsuki stated reluctantly. "Thanks for all the help and everything…I'll see you tomorrow."

"Alright. See you tomorrow. Thank you for teaching me baking." James said politely. "Let's meet again sometime."

_You damn fool. Did that just slip out?_

"Uu…Do you…really mean that?" Natsuki asked anxiously, hiding her true expression.

"…Yes?...Your company is most agreeable." James didn't know why, but that felt right to say.

_Really? I didn't say do it again!_

"I thought you only cared about getting this done…" She thought. "I'm sorry I had to leave so early today. I would really…stay here longer if I could. I feel the same way as you, so…"

That wasn't accurate. Natsuki had a crush. James had a desire to stop hearing screaming, and a smiling and laughing girl sometimes helped.

Suddenly, Natsuki got much closer to James. Much closer.

"…!" James could feel her fingers clutching at his shirt.

 _Oh no…oh…wait…oh…_ James thought, realizing that she was standing on her toes. However, their massive height difference meant that she was still at least six inches too short to do what she wanted.

Her eyes matched the color of her cheeks and her lips slightly parted. However, James had no desire to meet her. To accept that kind of contract.

"I've felt it…for a while now…" She whispered sweetly, expectantly.

 _So…yeah. Twice in one day. I'd say I'm disappointed but I'm just along for this shit show you've blundered into._ Strayed cruelly mocked.

_You…um…aren't going to do anything?_

_Mmm…Nah…I know you well enough to know you won't accept. I'm just waiting to see what she'll do when she realizes you aren't going for it. Then to see if you'll ask me to wipe her memory again._ Strayed gave the mental equivalent of a shrug. _I don't want to, cause I don't like us being put into this position, and maybe getting clearly rejected will make it clear to her_.

However, before Natsuki could realize James was rejecting her, someone else interrupted.

"S-SAYORI!" Natsuki shouted, jumping away from James. Her expression somewhere between dangerously embarrassed and enraged.

"…" He turned to see that Sayori had come out of her house behind them. He wasn't sure that was a good thing though, because Natsuki had clearly missed that she was being rejected, and this would probably not help with whatever was keeping Sayori down.

"Ah…" Sayori awkwardly groaned out, between a greeting and surprise. She looked off to the side away from them. "H-Hi, James…"

"Sayori." James stated flatly.

"Ehehe, It's okay, James. I just came down to say hi~" She sung.

"A-Ah…" Natsuki awkwardly made a noise in response. "Well…Y-You should have come a little earlier! I'm already on my way out, so…"

"Aw, really?" Sayori groaned. Although, her tone was rising to a mocking glee. "That's too bad..."

"Yeah, well…" Natsuki looked off to the side. "I'll still see you at the festival tomorrow, so it's fine. Just don't eat any cupcakes before then!" She shouted. "Anyway, later!" She ran off flustered, disappointed, while Sayori waved her off.

"…" James watched her leave. She already tried to force a love poem into his hands, and twice now tired too…Natsuki was going to be something of a problem. The only solution was to simply hurt her feelings, to actively disappoint her.

"…I thought you didn't want to come down?" James questioned.

"Ahaha well…" She began, her voice unsteady. "I tried staying in my room…But my imagination was being really mean to me…So I had to come down and see it for myself."

"…"

"To see…how much fun you were having with Natsuki. And how close you got to her." She whispered distraughtly. Technically speaking, he didn't move. She was the one who instigated everything. "It makes me…really happy…" She openly lied. "That you've made such good friends. That's all that matters to me." Tears fell from her. "That's all that matters to me-!" She openly sobbed. "Why am I feeling this way, James?" She asked painfully. "I'm supposed to be happy for you. Why does it feel like my heart is splitting in half? It hurts so much…This would be so much better if I could just disappear!"

"…" James grit his teeth as she lost her composure. Sometimes, rarely, he hated being a Lynx. He wanted to do something for her, to comfort her, to tell her something she needed to hear, because it hurt seeing a friend hurt. But he did nothing. As a part of himself shared in her anguish, another part stared impassively, unmoved by her cries. He was constantly stuck in the inhuman balance of understanding better than anyone and having not even the slightest care.

"If…If I wasn't here, then you wouldn't have to waste your sympathy on me! You wouldn't have to put up with me being selfish! Monika was right. I should just…"

"…?" What had she said? What should she do? He had turned then and looked at her, intensely serious and highly concerned.

"…" Sayori sobbed silently.

"Sayori…" James looked for something to say, something useful. "You're…important..." Lynx weren't meant to give, he was pushing himself so hard to try and help her even a little. He put a hand on her shoulder.

"I'm scared James…I'm really scared." She calmed down slightly.

"Why…?"

"I'm scared that…that I might like you more than you like me…" She admitted. This wasn't exactly news to James. It just seemed that now wasn't a good time to share it.

"…" There was a very slight change in his posture. In the way he held his head. In the way his eyes narrowed slightly. Sayori picked up on one of these things at least.

"It's true, isn't it?" She starts to tear up again. "I was weak and started to like you too much…I did this to myself. James…I like you so much that I want to die!" She shouted in terrible desperation. "That's how I feel! And…and…"

"Sayori…" James said interrupting her. He really didn't have anything he knew how to say. So, he said anything to pause her tirade of fear and self-loathing. "Please stop. Stop. Stop…" He carefully, and somewhat reluctantly, took her hand and held it as tightly as he dared.

"…" He sighed loudly in preparation. To tell her something that wasn't a lie.

"I can't…ever…return your feelings. Return…anyone's feelings." He stated with cold indifference. "And…I'm fine with that. All I want is to work…like nothing ever changed. Yet I value…your smile." He changed his tone slightly, dearer. "I like when you are honest and when you have fun. I haven't met anyone like you from my home. It's…different. It's nice. Just…please, you'll only hurt yourself if you look for anything more in me. You'll find nothing but…" He felt his words being cut off, choked out before he could finish the thought, it seemed that was still a secret worth keeping.

"I…I see." Sayori forces a smile through an incredibly pained expression. "Ahaha. Is this what it feels like…to get stabbed in the chest? I should write a poem about this…"

James grit his teeth, mouth shut, feeling something very wrong. That hollowed and ghastly feeling when he shot innocent's under contract, condemning to death those who had done no wrong.

"…" He opened his mouth to speak but had no words. They weren't blocked, he literally had no idea what he should say.

"It' okay." Sayori seemed to plead for his silence. "This is just my punishment…remember? For being so selfish. So please…Please don't worry about these stupid feelings. I understand now. That there is no happiness down that path. That's why I came here…Just so I could get the answer I needed to hear. I get it now…"

"…"

"…" Sayori's smile breaks. She turns around and drops to her knees. Clutching her head with both hands, she lets out a sound. A sound he was intimately familiar with. The loudest, possible scream her small throat can muster escapes and pounds on his ears.

He never wanted to hear her make that noise. It was a terrible noise, only made when a person was stripped of everything they cared about and were left aghast at the hole physically torn through their lives. He knew it so well…because he had caused it thousands of times. Men, woman, children. Fathers, mothers, sisters, brothers. Screaming that awful sound when they saw their families shot to bits. He had always made sure to hunt those who screamed like that the quickest, for two reasons.

The first reason: to end their suffering as quickly as possible.

Sayori turned and flashed him a weak smile, a false assurance, then ran back inside her home.

"…" James's teeth clenched painfully. His eyes locked to the spot she had been screaming so terribly loudly. It kept echoing back and forth on the inside of his head.

**/INTERNAL WARNING: CUMULATIVE HEART RATE: 2000 BPM**

_Calm down._

Sayori…screaming that hollow and hopeless wail.

**/CUMULATIVE HEART RATE: 3000 BPM**

_Calm Down!_

His only ally left, his blade through their back. Screaming the same way.

**/CUMULATIVE HEART RATE: 4000 BPM**

_CALM THE FUCK DOWN!_

The second reason he hunted those who screamed like that, was because that was how he screamed in Anatolia. Staring wide eyed at the piles of mincemeat that had once been the only thing he had left.

That was the scream that made him take this path. He wouldn't allow anyone else to follow him.

**/CUMULATIVE HEART RATE: 5000 BPM**

**/CRITICAL WARNING: CIRCULATORY SYSTEM DAMAGED**

Copious amounts of blood spilled from his mouth with a cough.

_Fuck this._

**/INITIATING EMERGENCY RESET**

**/. . .**

**/CUMULATIVE HEART RATE: 0 BPM**

Like a switch had been thrown, James collapsed face first into the ground. Clinically dead.

**/. . .**

**/. . .**

**/. . .**

**/RESET SUCCESSFUL**

**/SAFE MODE ACTIVE**

**/SECONDARY PUMPS ACTIVATED**

**/COMBAT EFFICIENCY: 74%**

In each limb, several small metal tubes began to cycle blood, bypassing his hearts. With a twitch, his body writhed on the ground, breathing weakly.

 _You really did us in this time_.

He could hear Strayed, even if his ears were still ringing.

 _I'll take over for the rest of the day. It will take some time to heal_.

James couldn't coherently form a response at the moment.

 _Just…sleep this one off. You're exhausted. Two weeks with no sleep tends to do that_.

…

Without being able to protest, James began to slowly lose consciousness. He could feel his body slowly begin to stand, out of his control.

He let the sweet darkness take him. It would be a short respite though. He had no good memories to dream. And few prospects of better ones to come.

* * *

GA America Colony #04 / Continent: North America / 2449

James was getting sick and tired of this kind of work. He stalked his way back down the ancient, abandoned service tunnel. A shanty town of garbage and will standing up to the ceiling. In each hand, twin light machineguns, barrels still glowing red.

It hadn't been a fight worth mentioning. A few dozen families, hiding from the local corporation. Foolishly thinking they could survive, trading with the black market and keeping their noses down. All for the foolish notion of freedom.

His contract cleared; he took a seat on a convenient looking crate. Slinging one gun on his back and the other on his lap, he rubbed his face despondently. His hands came back down crimson.

This was so beneath him. An open insult to him, just because his stepparents were enemies of The League. He'd become a Lynx to enact his revenge for Anatolia, not be used as an enforcer, as they had done to Joshua. He felt sick with rage.

A line of drones descended into the tunnel from the direction of the colony. Each one picking up a body, intent on returning it to a factory for reprocessing. Nothing would go to waste.

A pair of local security officers approached him. One, smiling, chewing a minor narcotic. The other, serious, quiet.

"Thanks for all the hard work kid. Didn't think the company would send a Lynx for this one." The smiling officer commented.

"…"

"Say, haven't I seen you around?"

"…"

"Hey. Knock it off man." The serious officer whispered to his partner.

"Oh, now I remember." He smiling officer ignored. "You're the kid coming out of Line Ark."

"…"

"Living with radicals all your life, and now you're down here, doing the dirty work of the corporations. Is this like, a fetish for you? Somethin' like that?"

"…"

"Heh. Doesn't matter either way. Once the company gets serious and sends in the big guns, like Roadie! Line Ark will fall in a day."

"Seriously man, cut it out! What's the first thing they teach you at basic!? Don't fuck with the Lynx!" The serious officer warned again.

"…"

"Nah…they won't even need to send the best. That old Raven in that fancy white armor would fold to a lower rank like Unite Mons. Hell, I'd even put my money on that little girl May."

"Yo, I'm not backing you up on this one man. He snaps and I'm out." The serious officer warned for the last time.

"…"

"Com'-on! What's this little punk gonna do? Go cwying hwme to his mommy? Heh. I bet that Jarnefeldt bitch would bend herself over just to survive witho-" The smiling officer stopped talking, stopped gloating, when James emptied an entire belt into his body.

He could stand the insults to himself. To his company. To his stepfather. But no one. No. One. Talked that way about his stepmother.

"Woah! Fuck fuck fuck! Hey, its cool man!" The serious officer raised his hands, before turning around and running away. "They don't pay me enough to deal with Lynx!" Could be heard as he ran.

A different drone, armed with a machine gun, descended in front of James threateningly.

"ATTENTION. YOU HAVE BEEN CHARGED WITH. UNCONTRACTED MURDER. BE-" The dumb A.I. was cut off as James scanned his phone in front of the drone. It beeped loudly for a moment.

"PAYMENT CONFIRMED. YOUR ACCOUNT HAS BEEN CHARGED. 1000 COAM. FOR. MURDER FINE. YOUR ACCOUNT HAS BEEN CHARGED. 100 COAM. FOR. DISMEMBERMENT FINE. THANK YOU FOR YOUR COOPERATION. HAVE A NICE DAY."

The drone left to return to it's patrol route. Two collection drones, one a vacuum type, came to collect the officer's body. The regular one grabbed the largest pieces, while the vacuum type cleaned up the rest.

Nothing. Would go to waste.

. . .

A few hours later, James was walking the filthy and unorganized streets of the colony proper. The ceiling here was hundreds of meters above, made of old and cracking concrete. Shanty buildings were built as high as people would dare. Citizens in color-coded working-class uniforms shuffled back and forth, keeping their heads down. Lighting was a mismatch of trashcan fires, old-world garbage that still worked, and corporate floodlights. Drones of many types filled the concrete sky; from nimble surveillance drones, sturdy combat drones, ever present collector drones, and large delivery drones; it was a constant buzz. On the ground, enforcement officers patrolled the filthy streets, ranging from simple machine gun drones or officer patrols, to bulldozer tanks and Muscle Tracer bipedal walkers.

As he was strolling from his latest contract, he caught sight of a pair of officers harassing a family.

"Please sir! My child was really sick! I-I couldn't get to work on time!" The father pleaded.

"And that's any excuse to be late? You know the company policy. Or do you need to be reminded?" The first officer threatened.

"N-No sir! I promise I'll be on time. I-I'll even work unpaid overtime!"

"Hmm. That's a good plan. Still…you can't have expected us to come all this way…just to accept a promise?" The second officer implied.

James wanted to do right by hurting the corporations. But he couldn't afford to keep killing officers. Their lives were slightly too expensive. Before he could make a decision however, a hand shot out of the dark, grabbing his arm to stop him.

"P-Please…Mr. Lynx." A pained feminine voice begged him. He turned to look at her.

A rotting corpse hung loosely on him, boney fingertips without skin gripped fiercely. Large, gaping wounds bled slowly, pooling around her. Her cracked face had a hole in the cheek, the result of a nervous itch. One of her eyes was already dead, the other dangerously bloodshot.

Based on her garb, she was a scavenger, one of the lowest rungs of society, still valued for their recycling work.

"P-Please…kill me…" She begged desperately. "I…was exposed…but it's so…slow…it hurts so much."

 _Ah_. She was on the surface and a seal must have broken, and now she had a bad case of Kojima poisoning. A treatable condition for a Lynx, as they could afford the medical nanites to slow the dying process. For a lowly scavenger however, she'd be dead in days, hours if she was lucky.

"Please…" She cried desperately. "Kill…me…"

James sighed. At this point her life was worth less than the bullet to finish her. However, she was just rotting here. A corpse already, yet the brain was not yet aware it was so. He drew his weapon quickly and fired, the rotting corpse falling. She would have preferred it that way.

He turned then to see the family. The little girl, crying into her mother's arms, while the mother tired to hide her eyes. One of the officers was wailing on the father's leg with a baton, intending to beat it until it bent the wrong way. The other officer had turned at the shot, only to shrug at him and continuing to mock the family.

A drone descended, scanning the recently deceased woman. "KOJIMA POISONING DETECTED. NO FINE WILL BE ISSUED. HAVE A NICE DAY." The drone announced, before it was soon replaced by a collector drone, intending to take the poisoned corpse to an incinerator for fuel, as opposed to food.

"Huh. Sorry about leaving her for you. Was going to get to her after my meal." A voice called from a local food stand. He turned to the voice to see the back of a tall, regal woman, too well kept to be a local. Her hair was black, with highlights of pale pink, and a pink flower on the right side of her head. Either she was a brave corporate child, or a confident Lynx.

"For the trouble, why don't I offer you a meal?" James perked up at this news. Something he had learned was that you never turn down a free meal. Taking a seat next to the woman, he ordered a bowl of noodles and broth. Both were about 80% human in their source, but not raw. The corporations made sure to break a corpse down into its basic elements before putting it on the market as pale chips or tasteless soup. So, while the source was human, it was little different than setting up a garden in a cemetery.

James turned to the woman, surprised, but not shocked at who he was with.

"Kasumi Sumika. Original, Ranked 16th." He announced.

"MhMh." She giggled between spoonfuls. "Former Lynx. And no one calls me 'Kasumi' anymore. I'm just Serena Haze now." She turned, showing a single brown eye, the other covered by an eyepatch.

"Hmm." James hummed in thought. "So what's an Original doing this far down in a colony like this?"

"The same as you, I imagine." She shrugged. "Looking for work that I qualify for."

"They have you doing cleaner work?" James inquired.

"Ha, I almost wish. Except some new hotshot keeps taking all those jobs, trying to build clout with the local corp." Serena took a drink. "Little does he know that he'll never rise up the ranks that way. The corporations are content to leave him as a bottom feeder."

"I…see…" James responded thoughtfully.

Serena leaned in close to him. "It's too bad he doesn't know a better way to get a Collared Ranking."

James looked at her inquisitively. "What did you have in mind, Serena?"

Serena then whispered her plan to James.

"Huh... That's good, very interesting I'll admit. Still, why the offer?"

"Let's just say, I owe a favor to you for your grandmother, the old Raven." Serena cocked her head, looking down at the bowl of cold human soup.

"…" He sighed in thought. "James. James Klein." He reached a hand out to her.

"Mhh." Serena hummed, taking his hand. "It will be very interesting working with you."

"And you as well."

"One last thing. What will I call you on missions?" Serena smiled, a Lynx at heart, glad to be taking a mission, even in support capacity.

"On mission, you can call me Strayed."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Authors Note: For the scenes in the future, I was inspired by the mission areas of Armored Core 5 and Verdict Day for their underground ghetto areas. I hope it was very descriptive. Please, feel free to let me know what you think!


	7. There is no Hunting like the Hunting of Lynx

A brief, but necessary intermission.

Since their inception in 2052, the Armored Core would be the dominant weapon on the battlefield for more than half a millennium. A simple, but effective weapons platform, Armored Cores provided extreme mobility, heavy armor, and heavy ordinance. Mobile Fortresses, A.I. Weapons, and Alien Technology would all fail to usurp the Armored Core in it's total domination of every war.

In 2345, the world was torn asunder between simultaneous rebellions. First Ravens, or the mercenary pilots of AC's, started a rebellion against corporations. At the same time, a rogue A.I. was producing powerful and destructive weapons. Both sides were slaughtered by a single Raven, the Last Raven. Thus, Armored Cores were no longer needed.

In the following century however, corporations planned a hostile takeover. Having spent billions on secret energy and weapons research, they produced the fourth generation of Armored Core weapons; the NEXT. This iteration of ten-meter-tall mechs would be capable of supersonic flight, surviving nuclear explosions, and dealing out nuclear level ordinance on their own. Their maneuverability was so extreme a new _species_ of pilot needed to be created. The Lynx.

In 2440, twenty-six Lynx were sent out to conquer the world for the corporations. The National Disarmament War was over in six days. In the following year however, the victors would turn on each other. Utilizing a highly radioactive energy called Kojima Particles, the corporations sterilized the Earth in what would be known as the Third Great Destruction, the third time humans had laid waste to the world.

For the following decade, the world settled into an insane balance. The corporations would be simultaneously allied and at war with each other endlessly, forming The League of Ruling Corporations to represent their will on Earth; and the second organization of Collared, to act as a neutral agent for contracting Lynx. The minor corporation Line Ark existed in opposition of The League and it's practices. In the skies, many people lived in Cradles; massive, flying cities away from the sterilized and radioactive surface. And in space, the world was walled off by an absolute defense grid of Assault Cell satellites, designed by The League to limit their own expansion, and to keep the human colonies in the solar system from interfering. Lastly, massive, mobile battle stations, Arms Forts, trampled upon the barren world, representing their corporations' interest.

It would all be torn asunder, once again.

* * *

2449

BRIEFING:

CLIENT: The League of Ruling Corporations

MISSION AREA: Line Ark Defensive Line #1

MISSION TARGET: Line Ark Guard Unit

TASK: ELIMINATE Line Ark Reactionary Forces

REWARD: 100,000 COAM

 _"This is your mission_." A monotone feminine voice spoke as a video played. " _Eradicate the defensive units deployed in the Line Ark zone. As you know, Line Ark is the main base of the anti-establishment forces that oppose the Cradles. We have tried to negotiate peacefully with these revolutionaries, but they have refused our overtures and continue their violent attacks_."

The screen changed to show The League companies invested in this mission. BFF, Rosenthal, Torus, Interior Union, Algebra, Omer, and GA. " _This mission is a show of force to encourage the enemy to rejoin negotiations. We never like to resort to violence, but on this occasion, we have no choice._ "

The screen changed again, showing a specialized NEXT with the title: "WHITE GLINT, Collared Rank No. 9". " _Line Ark's main weapon, White Glint, is currently operating in another area. It will not become a risk in this operation_.

The screen changed one last time, showing The League logo of the Earth with two triangular points pointed away from it. " _Note that this mission is a test run of your capabilities. We trust that you will deliver a successful result_."

An eager new Lynx received this briefing, feeling confident in his abilities.

* * *

Line Ark Defensive Line #1

Line Ark wasn't just a fancy name, it was literally a definition as well. The primary area that they controlled was a gigantic bridge, thousands of kilometers long over an ocean separating two distant continents. This bridge comprised of tens of thousands of massive, triangular support beams, each over twenty meters thick and two hundred meters apart. These supports were six hundred meters high and over a kilometer wide. There was enough room to support three sixteen lane highways and eight suspended train lines, with plenty of room to spare.

A Lynx in a light blue 063AN model NEXT, a model with flat, angular armor formed over it's structure, and a head unit that looked suspiciously like a pirate hat, was air dropped onto this bridge. He was armed with a laser blade, assault rifle, compact missile launcher, and a large-scale sniper cannon.

"Commence mission." His operator told him. "Destroy all Line Ark defense units."

The Lynx dropped below the scaffolding that was currently holding up three squads of Muscle Tracer walkers, shooting out the structure with the heavy assault rifle and sending the twelve pilots to drown in the waters below.

"Hn, too easy." The young Lynx cruelly mocked. He flew back up to the one of the lower bridges.

"A league NEXT!?" Cried out the pilots from the walkers on the bridge. "Dammit, not now!" Called out another one. The two walkers fell to sniper cannon fire from the back mounted weapon.

"Confirmed. Half the targets have been destroyed." The operator called out. The four walkers still on this side of a tunnel, managed to score a rocket volley on the NEXT, which continued through the smoke of the explosions unimpeded. "Damn, are we doing any damage?" One of the pilots asked, only for his squad to be cut down with single fire missiles and assault rifle rounds.

Six Muscle Tracers lined up on the other side of a tunnel on the bridge, volley fired their cannons, scoring several direct hits. Their effort was negligible, as their rounds impacted against a bubble of Kojima Particles that acted as a kinetic energy barrier, which lit up green with every hit. They only managed to scratch the paint.

"Primal Armor!?" A young pilot shouted at seeing his rounds literally evaporate before hitting their target. "First we have to break down that Primal Armor!" A more confident pilot called out. However, by then all six pilots were killed from long range fire and missiles.

"Only a few targets remaining." The operator of the Lynx informed him.

"Our standard weapons are useless!" The enemy captain called out. "Where are our Normals?!"

Passing through the tunnel, the Lynx came in sight of four mechs of equal size to a NEXT, each of which possessed weapons of the same caliber as him. However, it only took him four shots with the sniper cannon to obliterate the squad. He then flew across to the other bridge, landing on it and engaging the two Normals with a laser blade. The long, purple blade slashed out, carving the first mech from the waist. The second received a vicious thrust from the blade, burning a hole though it's armor and it's pilot.

"We've confirmed all targets destroyed. Mission Complete." The operator called out. "Well done, almost perfect. But don't get too high on yourself yet, MC. These enemies were nothing to write home about."

"Heh, tell me about it." The Lynx, MC, responded with a bored tone.

. . .

An hour of flight later and MC was still passing over the ocean, when an artillery shell arched down in front of him.

"Hmm?" MC stopped his flight, watching the shell fall and explode two hundred meters below him.

"What's wrong?" His operator asked.

"A shell just came down in my area." He turned to the direction it was fired from. Switching to long range sensors he could make out a NEXT on top of a flooded building a few kilometers away, braced to support the cannon on it's back. He caught the flash of the muzzle, and quick-boosted sideways to avoid the shell that came a few seconds later.

"What the hell? There's a Next firing on me from long range!" MC sneered, switching to his over-booster to meet the challenger, his NEXT accelerating to nearly Mach two.

"Wait just a second there MC! We don't know anything about this enemy!" His operator warned.

"Then I'll feed you the data while in route." He got close enough to make out the enemy. It was a 03-Aaliyah, a sleek, high-speed unit and the mass production prototype of all NEXT. The Aaliyah had long, upward pointed knees, large elbows, and a wide curved top. The pilot would be protected in the protruding forward section of the core. On it's hips were large external thrusters, stylized to look like sword sheaths on ancient warriors. It's head unit was shaped like a bird's, long and narrow, with a sensor strip wrapping all the way around the front and sides, giving it a look of having over a hundred glowing red eyes.

"It's a black and white Aaliyah, armed with a small-scale laser blade, machine gun, and back mounted artillery and auto-cannons." MC informed his operator as the data was sent.

"MC, get out of there. There are no currently active units in Collared's ranks that match that description." His operator warned again.

"Tsk. Just an unranked irregular then. This will be easy." MC closed the distance, holding himself level two hundred meters above the ocean, opening a comm channel so the enemy Lynx could hear him. "Hey! What's the big idea challenging me with cannon fire? Couldn't get a Collared rank, so you thought you could take down it's newest member? What's with that?"

The enemy did not respond. He simply took flight as well, deploying his auto-cannon beside the artillery cannon, and taking position above MC's Next.

"Huh?" Before he could respond, 90mm full-auto-cannon shells arched down, followed closely by 280mm artillery shells that he barely avoided. "Shi…" MC struggled to avoid the fire, which had already cut a quarter from his PA and was forcing him closer to the ocean's surface. He returned fire with back-mounted missiles and sniper cannon fire, both of which were easily dodged.

"MC! Don't let him hold the high ground! That OGOTO cannon will tear you apart even with a near miss!" His faithful operator tried to help, to keep him alive. Still, in desperation to conserve energy and maintain a firing platform, MC descended to the water's surface. He was promptly punished for his action when an artillery shell landed near him, reducing his Primal Armor by half and knocking a sizeable chunk from his Armor Points.

"Quit trying to hit him with that cannon!" His operator advised and he switched his left weapon back to the Rosenthal assault rifle, however by this time, enough volleys had come down that his PA was gone, and his AP was down 30%.

"Come on, come on! Hit!" MC shouted as he sprayed 120mm rounds back into the sky. "Wha…What's with this movement?!" He watched astounded as the enemy quick thrusted rapidly, often more than four times a second, each time their direction changed at over the speed of sound. The enemy to his left would suddenly become the enemy on his right in the blink of an eye. Then he lost sight of the enemy entirely.

"Where did he…?" MC gaped in horror at the rapidly approaching red dot on his radar. He turned, switching the missiles for his large-scale laser blade. 50mm rounds from a handheld machine gun impacted against his back, and he turned in time to see the purple beam of a laser blade coming down.

"Ack! Tsk!" MC grunted as half of his AP melted away under the laser blade. Rayleonard might be gone, but their weapons still hit like a bitch. He tried to retaliate with his own blade, but the enemy Lynx had already backed off, continuing to maneuver onto his flanks and firing with their machine gun.

"MC! You're outmatched! Get out of there now!" His operator pleaded desperately.

"I…think…you might be right." He grunted in response. "Wait…there!" The enemy NEXT paused for a moment, as it had overextended and had gotten itself turned around. MC quick thrusted at the enemy, laser blade engaged to return the damage done to him in one quick move.

"No MC! It's a trap!" His operator tried to warn, only for the enemy NEXT to reverse quick-boost past him, firing a flash rocket from the shoulder units he had been ignoring up till then.

"Ahhh!" MC shouted as his NEXT's sensors were overloaded by bright light, and in the next moment could feel as the enemy NEXT bladed his back, reducing his AP to a minuscule amount.

When his sensors came back online, the black and white NEXT had discarded it's machine gun, ejecting it into the ocean, and used the now free arm to grab his own blade-mounted arm.

"C-Come on man! If you want the blade, I'll eject it for you! Just let me live!" For the first time in the battle, the enemy NEXT gave a response he could understand. A slow shaking of the head. The enemy NEXT raised it's own blade arm, and brought it down.

MC expected a quick death. Instead, he shuddered as he felt an impact against his core. Then another. And another. A horrific realization came to him.

"H-H-HE'S TRYING TO BREAK INTO THE COCKPIT!" MC shouted terrified. He tried to quick-boost away, firing his assault rifle at point-blank range, but it was too late. Another swing later and the armor was dented badly enough to break a seal and expose the cockpit to the air, the poisoned air of the surface.

MC started to hyperventilate, before the enemy NEXT grabbed him with both arms, and turned off it's thrusters. MC only had a moment of realization before the black and white NEXT dragged his unit into the ocean. He tried desperately to break free, to boost away as his enemy calmly held on, all the while his cockpit filled with cold water. Down, down they both went, kilometers down into the dark and dead ocean. His only company in the dark was the impassive and apathetic red glare from the Aaliyah. Eventually, MC stopped struggling, and the black and white NEXT took a grip and tore the forearms off his enemy, taking the laser blade and assault rifle with him.

"MC!" His operator had been calling nonstop as they had sunk into the ocean. "MC answer me dammit! MC! MC…!"

* * *

Four months later

BRIEFING:

CLIENT: Collared

MISSION AREA: PA-N51 [Former Siberia]

MISSION TARGET: UNKNOWN NEXT

TASK: ELIMINATE UNKNOWN NEXT

REWARD: 200,000 COAM + 300,000 COAM with Kill Confirmation

" _This mission goes to any irregulars operating in range of the target area of PA-N51_." The monotone feminine voice spoke. " _An unknown Lynx has been ambushing other irregulars or low-ranking Lynx during their contracts. Their actions have caused considerable instability to the economy_."

The scene changed, showing a 03-Aaliyah unit. " _The enemy's affiliation, name, rank, and weapons loadout are unknown. All we know is that they operate a black and white Aaliyah NEXT and prefer close-range combat_."

" _Work with your fellow Lynx in this operation to take down this enemy. All participating Lynx will automatically receive 200,000 Coam, while the Lynx who acquires the killing blow will receive a 300,000 Coam bonus. Additionally, any survivors will receive a Collared registry. We're counting on all of you_."

"Huh." James hummed at the briefing. "That will work just fine."

"…" Serena sighed. "You…do realize this is a kill contract…with _you_ as the target, right?"

"I'm well aware of that. However, everything is in the fine print." He then rewound the briefing to a specific point. " _Additionally, any survivors will receive a Collared registry."_ James smiled smugly back at his operator.

Serena rubbed her eyes tiredly. "Even so, that would mean you'd have to kill every Lynx who takes this contract. There's got to be at least nine, maybe ten active Lynx operating within a few thousand kilometers who will take this contract. Can you take on that many?" She asked him seriously.

"I have to. The League is putting a big reward on my head alone. We've taken this as far as we can. Any longer and they'll send one of the top ten after me. I can't take that kind of risk. So, let's cut down these irregulars and use their own contract against them to get what I want."

Serena sighed. She then pulled up a map of the target area, considering her options. "If we are going to do this, we'll need to stack as many cards in our favor as we can. I'll contact the local scavenger groups, maybe they can help set up a surprise to help us out. And you, I want you to tear apart a shock rocket I'll rent for you and turn one of the shoulder units into a powerful transmitter launcher. Lastly, take off that chain gun you've been using, PA-N51 already blinds most sensors in it, it would be best if you took a radar unit, especially for what I have planned."

"Oh, and what plan is this?" James inquired confidently.

"We need information on Lynx operating in the area first, but I think you'll love it." Serena smiled back.

* * *

PA-N51 / The following day

The call of easy money and a Collared registry had been too hard to ignore for the local Lynx population. Just to kill one NEXT? It was a dream come true. They had assembled and deployed to the snow blasted wasteland as soon as possible, so quickly they hadn't had time to learn each other's names, designating them only as numbers.

01, 02, 03, and 08 were all using variants of the GA Sunshine model NEXT. A solid and heavily armored machine with large, flat surfaces; basically, a walking tank that could fly. There was worry about the intelligence of 01 and 02, seeing as 01 deployed with a pair of nuclear missile launchers and artillery arms, while 02 only had Gatling cannons, limiting himself to little more than fire support. 03 focused on missile support, but she had an artillery cannon for medium range, and a pile driver for close range anti-armor fights. 08 was truly a mixed bag, deploying with a weapon for every range, but he seemed competent enough.

04 deployed in an Ekhazar core, a reversed joint, lightweight craft with an armored shell like an insect. Most of it's weapons were of Algebra make like it's core, which was why it was holding a giant shotgun and a five meter long AK-47. He was a cocky fucker, but seemed comfortable in the aerial craft.

05 had a Tellus core, a unit with a structure extremely like that of an Aaliyah, but with a higher weight and defense against energy weapons. It's armor was a smooth, rounded shell. She was loaded out with two railguns, an energy efficient laser blade, and a compact missile launcher.

06 was probably the brightest of their deployed group. She was a young Lynx in a Linstant build, an older Akva Vit frame for testing technology. The central core was an Aaliyah, with stripped down arm and leg units and a head unit built to appear like a fencing mask. Besides a large sniper rifle, which appeared as a mid-20th century rifle that was six meters long, she also had a chain gun, reserve laser blade, and a highly dangerous anti-PA Kojima rifle. Her job was going to be support, seeing as she had the only radar unit in the deployment.

07 was the cockiest motherfucker here. He had the newest generation AC, a Lahire. Designed as an ultralight variant built from the Aaliyah, it was also the fastest unit. It was well-armed for it's weight, with a set of laser weapons, bladed assault rifle, and a vertical missile launcher. It even had reserve blades stored away.

10 was the most senior Lynx amongst them, piloting a Lancel, a slimmed down version of the Hogire from Rosenthal. It had layered armor and large exposed heatsinks. The head was a triangular box. He was armed with a mixture of ballistic weapons, a missile launcher, and a back-up laser blade.

Lastly, there was 09, inexperienced but with good instincts. He managed to get his own Aaliyah. Rigged for close range engagements, he was loaded with his own Moonlight laser blade, assault rifle, plasma cannon, and a high-speed missile launcher. Additionally, he had flash rockets for blinding his enemy.

Their deployment was passing through an ancient city, filled with multiple abandoned apartment blocks, cracked and worn by the perpetual cold. None of their unit realized they were walking into a well-prepared trap.

. . .

Powered down and hiding in the rubble of a damaged building, Strayed watched the ten enemies as they passed into the old city. Serena had made her dealings with the scavengers, and they had managed to rig up a large array of ECM emitters, designed to blind radar and disrupt communications, these hidden units were set up around the city, prepared to saturate the area on his command.

The enemy was broadcasting on an open channel. As such, Strayed listened to each enemy banter and joke on how they would kill him, giving him a good understanding of their psychology, as well as their call signs.

It would be a hard fight, but it was confident in it's abilities. Every Lynx was built a little differently, a differing psychology or structural anatomy in each one. The personality split of James/Strayed was not so unusual, but very uncommon. However, it only had advantages in combat. Their plan in place, it sent a narrow band transmission to activate the jamming field, and even with a radar unit loaded, it quickly lost it's radar.

"What the hell?" 02 muttered.

"Where did the radar go?" 01 asked.

"Easy, it's ECM, the target is close." 10 assured his allies. "Try and protect 06, she's got our only radar unit."

"Roger that, Sunshines, let's form a perimeter on 06." 03 advised.

Strayed could vaguely make out the ten NEXT form a defensive perimeter around their only radar. However, that was as good as cutting their numbers in half. Almost all of their heavy guns were now semi-stationary. With that in mind, it targeted an outlier, 04, in the Algebra built machine. It couldn't allow someone with better aerial capabilities to keep breathing.

Aiming a distraction shot, it fired it's artillery cannon over their heads and into the line of Sunshines to stir them up, the round striking it's intended target of 01.

"Hey! I'm hit!" 01 shouted. Strayed then boosted past, getting 04's attention with a few shots from its assault rifle, doing minimal damage.

"I've got him in my sights! Engaging!" 04 announced, boosting after Strayed as it boosted behind a building.

"Hey! I don't have a shot!" 02 complained.

"04, come back! We don't have you in sight." 09 advised.

"…where did he go? Damn this weather." 04 could be heard quietly. The connection broken up by ECM. "Sh-Shit! Ack! I'm hit! I'm hit!" 04 called out as he got a one-two punch from a heavy cannon, followed closely by a laser blade strike. He didn't even notice the shock rocket that passed through his weakened PA and stuck to his armor.

"Hey! I got weapons lock! Firing on the enemy Aaliyah! Missiles away!" 01 called, firing off a pair of two-kiloton nuclear missiles.

"Guns! Guns! Guns!" 02 called as he used his rotary back mounted cannons to tear buildings apart, hoping to get his own hits in.

"I'm on my way!" 07 called out in support.

"Wait! That's not…!" 06 tried to warn.

"AAAAAAHHH!" 04 yelled out, before the nukes detonated in the distance, clearing a small hole in the storm that quickly passed.

"04! Answer us! 04!" 10 tried to get his ally back.

"04 is lost." 07 announced. "He was caught in the barrage. Damn! Where is the enemy?"

In the cover of the snowstorm, Strayed had circled around behind their formation, focusing on 05. Managing again to get another pair of hits in from artillery and laser blade, while firing it's rifle all the way before retreating behind the cover of buildings.

"Dammit! That was a big chunk of my AP." 05 complained.

"08, 09, on me! Let's get him. Everyone else, move up!" 10 advised. "07, see if you can cut him off."

"Roger" 07 responded.

Even as they made this plan, Strayed had already flown over the battlefield, a kilometer above, waiting for 07 to pass so it could attack the rear line. It came down on 03, guns blazing.

"From behind again! What's with this guy? I'm going to keep him in my sights." 03 moved off after him as he retreated into the storm, firing volleys of missiles at any stray radar lock she could acquire.

Out of sight of her allies, and with her PA mostly depleted, Strayed rushed 03 with laser blade, while sticking another modified shock rocket.

"Target locked! Firing!" 01 announced, another pair of nuclear missiles leaving his rack. An additional volley of conventional missiles left his shoulder racks.

"Suppressive fire!" 02 added his rear guns to the mix.

"ERR! Cease Fire! Friendly Fire!" 03 shouted as cannons and missiles depleted her armor, followed closely by two anti-NEXT nukes.

"03…is lost…" 06 informed the team.

"Dammit! 01 and 02, check your fire! You've dropped two friendlies without even damaging the enemy." 10 chastised.

"Could…the enemy be marking our allies as enemies?" 09 questioned.

"How would they even do that?" 06 questioned.

"RRRAAA! Where are you Lynx!" 07 shouted as he rushed into the storm.

"Come and fight me! Coward!" 02 shouted as he sprayed large caliber rounds into the old city, knocking down several buildings."

"07! Regroup! 02! Stop wasting ammo!" 10 tried to command.

"07! Wait up! I have to pay him back." 05 demanded. Strayed tracked her visually as she boosted away from the cover of her allies, searching for 07 to support. It dropped down on her, cannon shells leading the way.

"What! Damn! I'm taking fire!" 05 shouted as Strayed closed into blade range, crossing blades with her. Unfortunately for her, the 07-Moonlight was a much longer, more powerful blade.

"I'll be there shortly, just hang on!" 07 encouraged his ally. Strayed allowed him to get a lock on with his laser weapons, then boosted behind 05, forcing more friendly fire.

"Shit, I'm nearly o-" 05 was silenced as a laser blade penetrated her armor from behind, running though her cockpit.

"05! No!" 07 boosted after his enemy. "Let's see you keep up with-what!" Though they were both Lynx, designed to survive the crushing G-forces associated with NEXT combat, Strayed had received additional training and implants as recommended from Anatolia's Mercenary. So, even though their Aaliyah was slower than a Lahire, it knew how to use it better, and how to be quicker with it.

"Dammit! No No No NO! I can't lose like this!" 07 was quickly overwhelmed by an enemy who held nothing back. "I won't go down so eas-" He was quickly silenced as a laser blade penetrated his craft's thin armor, right through the cockpit.

"07…lost…" 06 was becoming quieter as more of her allies died.

"Come on! Keep it together people! We still outnumber him six to one!" 10 rallied the deployment.

"Yeah! Follow 10's lead! He'll get us through this!" 09 agreed.

"What we need to do is get out of this ECM, lets box up and pick a direction. Keep defending 06 as her radar will help us lock him down." 10 ordered. However, Strayed wasn't going to let them escape their trap. As soon as they had grouped together, Strayed dropped in among their formation, targeting 08 with fire.

"He's here! He's in our formation!" 08 shouted, even as he received numerous rounds from his enemy.

"Roger that! Firing!" 01 shouted, artillery arms and a pair of nukes on their way, along with another volley of conventional missiles.

"I'll light him up!" 02 shouted, his back mounted cannons nearly depleted from firing uselessly into the storm for so long.

"Don't let him escape!" 10 agreed, him, 09, and 06 offering supporting fire, just as Strayed had predicted. It fired a shock rocket at 08, sticking him with a transmitter that sent a powerful false IFF that immediately turned everyone's lock-on onto 08.

08 didn't have time to respond as the full ordinance of six NEXT and two nukes slammed into his armor.

"Oh-Oh shit!" 09 cried out.

"We! We killed another ally!" 06 froze up.

"So…he's spoofing the IFF…" 10 came to realize.

"RRAAA! Take this!" 01 fired off another pair of nukes and his last volley of conventional missiles. This time, Strayed focused fire on him, bringing down his PA shielding and tearing into his armor, before dropping altitude and bringing the missiles on it's tail along a lateral route, then rushing back towards 01.

"RR! Tsk!" 01 could only grunt in response, firing off another pair of nukes as the enemy boosted right behind him, forcing him to take the brunt of his own ordinance. Strayed had just enough time to force it's laser blade through the cockpit before it had to flee from the last set of nuclear missiles.

"GRR!" 02 grunted, his rear mounted Gatling cannons finally running dry, forcing him to switch to the handheld set. "DAMN YOU LYNX!" Strayed came around, still dodging fire from the three other Lynx, unloading the last of it's artillery shells into 02 and ejecting the spent cannon, as well as unloading the last of their assault rifle rounds and discarding that as well. It aimed it's laser blade carefully, taking the left arm off 02 and stealing the weapon on it, then boosting behind 02, letting him take the full force of the two nuclear weapons that had been following it for over a minute. 02 died as well and Strayed disappeared back into the storm.

"My god…what are we fighting?" 10 questioned. He and 09 still protecting 06, now surrounded by more dead allies than enemies. "You two should get out of here. I'll hold him off. Go on! Go!"

"Like hell! We're going to take this guy down!" 09 fiercely protested. 06 agreed, keeping her guns up and panning for a target.

"Don't you get it! This guy is fighting at a level reserved for the top ten ranked! We never stood a chance!" 10 explained to his comrades.

Then a contact was found on their radars. They turned their guns expectantly on it. Then another from the opposite flank a few seconds later. Then another. And another. Until they were surrounded by five stationary contacts.

"Keep your guard up. He's planning on taking another one down." 10 advised cautiously.

The three survivors kept scanning back and forth, searching for movement in the thick sheets of snow and dust. They failed to check above themselves yet again, while moving far slower than any NEXT should ever move. Strayed dropped down, firing it's stolen Gatling cannon on 06.

"Shit! From above!" 06 tried to warn. The direction of the attack forced her away from her allies. Strayed rushed forward, avoiding fire from her Kojima rifle, and slashing at her armor and shields relentlessly with it's blade. 09 and 10 managed to score several hits while it focused down their ally, but it was all for naught. The sustained fire from the Gatling gun and constant blade attacks wore down her armor. Eventually, it killed her with one, clean thrust through the cockpit, then retreating back into the storm with half of it's armor still intact.

"06! Goddammit!" 09 shouted. He was exhausted already, from going back and forth, watching allies die one by one.

"…There's been something bothering me, for a while now." 10 announced. "Normal blade attacks are done quickly, rushing in suddenly at the speed of sound, aiming to simply deplete armor." He thought carefully, speaking on an open channel. "The enemy doesn't fight like that. He's been more strategic in his blade strikes, aiming his blade head on to penetrate armor, and almost always aiming for the cockpit."

"…" 09 grimaced at the implications.

"He isn't some rogue irregular like we thought. At best, he was personally trained by one of the top ten. He's almost sadistically patient, drawing us out one by one, and forcing us to fire on allies. Whatever he's fighting for, his rage will wash over this world, for better or worse…we'll never know."

Though the violent and cold winds, a dark figure emerged, walking. The black and white Aaliyah that had been hunting them. Armed with just it's laser blade and stolen Gatling gun, it strode out just close enough so they could make it out. 09 instinctively raised his own guns but was stopped by 10 raising his arm.

"There's no point. Our lives were forfeit the moment we entered this battlefield…no, they were forfeit the moment we became Lynx. All we can do now…is die a good death." 10 then purged himself of all weapons, equipping his reserve laser blade, raising it offensively. "For what it's worth…I'm sorry, that I led you towards your death. If I can request one thing, stranger?" 10 asked into the open channel. "Will you give us your name?"

The enemy turned it's Gatling gun to the side, still holding it, but keeping it off target. It returned the gesture, raising it's laser blade for a future strike. The channel chirped as a new source began transmitting. A young and serious voice, devoid of any kindness or regret, spoke only once. " _Strayed_."

10 seemed to accept this, thrusters on his NEXT firing and burning in anticipation of movement. Strayed matched him.

It was over in moments. 10 thrusted forward, laser blade ignited and swinging in a wide arch. At the same time, Strayed had already dodged the attack, turned around as 10 passed it by, and thrusted it's own blade into 10's back. It took a second longer for his armor to burn away, but 10 seemed content to die by this point.

No one moved for several seconds. Strayed retracted it's blade, and 10 fell into the rising snow. With a war cry of rage, 09 pounced on Strayed, firing everything he had. Strayed dodged easily, retuning fire with the Gatling gun until it was empty and rushing 09 head on with only the blade left. 09 fired a flash rocket, which Strayed refused to dodge, blinding it for a moment.

"Yes! Now take THIS!" 09 poured everything into his own blade, rushing headlong at his blinded enemy, who wouldn't be able to see the attack coming. Strayed, with calculated patience, turned slightly. What had been before a guaranteed hit was now a narrow miss. 09 watched in horror as his blade only contacted Primal Armor uselessly. Strayed, blind though it was, reached forward, blade coming to life, aiming for 09's cockpit.

* * *

Big Box – North America / July 2450 / One Year Later

It had amused them greatly, forcing Collared to honor their contract and give them a Registry, that allowed them to take NEXT missions whenever they pleased. Now, the groveling dog who shot civilians in the dank and dark underground, who The League was content to ignore, had slaughtered their way to Rank 01. Additionally, the recent rebellion had finally given them the chance to fight back against the corporations.

The Big Box Fortress, site of ORCA's current headquarters, was a 2.5-kilometer-tall triangular box, three kilometers on each side. Protected by three 10,000mm anti-Arms Fort cannons and three additional 0.75-kilometer-wide bunkers that were nearly as tall. It was an impenetrable and imposing monolith. James/Strayed had just arrived as honored allies, landing at one of the three airports on the roof. They had been personally requested to visit by orders of their leader, Maximilian Thermidor.

Following the endless grey hallways down into a corporate block, they entered a large room with a desk, over which two men, no, two Lynx, were going over holographic plans. A large black flag with four stars on the bottom, bearing the name of ORCA hung proudly on the wall.

"James 'Strayed' Klein. An honor to finally meet you." Thermidor greeted him kindly. James knew who this man was. He might have changed his name, but he couldn't hide such things from another Lynx.

This man was Ostdarva, the man who had killed his stepfather. But that was in the past now. Just a contract, nothing personal. James forgave this man with nothing more than a bone crushing handshake and a hard glare.

Thermidor, being a Lynx as well, understood this, and nodded in acknowledgement, accepting the handshake. Just a contract, nothing personal. "This is Mazel, ORCA's strategist, we were just going over how best to utilize you in the coming war."

Mazel was much older than the other two. Still, he held himself confidently, shaking James's hand with enough force to tear a human apart, but not with all his strength.

"You've done right by us so far, taking down the requested League facilities. But I can't help but think you would be better used in hunting corporate Lynx." Mazel rubbed his chin in thought.

"I-won't deny that that has a certain appeal it." James admitted to the strategist.

"You see." Mazel explained. "I've been going over your mission records. Against normal forces or Arms Forts, you've always been quick. Never dragging out a fight. But something changes whenever you fight a Lynx. Patient, but never hesitant. Cruel, but never sadistic. I think, even if you don't admit it, that you like hunting your own kind."

"Well…Lynx are the only challenge worth pursuing. And other than Arms Forts, Lynx represent the will of their parent corporation." James answered.

"Then I'd like to give you a side project then." Thermidor interjected. "Completely independent of the Closed Plan. You see, Mazel here is good at what he does. Very good. The way he figures, he and I will be dead before the end of the year. For one reason only. Wynne. D. Fanchon." He stated the name slowly.

"I see, then you would have me kill her before you can die by her hand?" James questioned.

"No." Thermidor shrugged. James blinked back in mild surprise. "You see, the corporations have been running everything to their carefully contained plan. Certainly, they fuck up every now and then, but it's usually their own fuck ups they must deal with. That's what this revolt is about. This isn't our grand design for saving the world or stopping the corporations. This is all a carefully contained and highly contrived plan to fix their own fuck up without admitting to it."

"Mmn." James hummed, his eyes squinting.

"However." Mazel took over. "They cannot control every variable. Wynne D. Fanchon is fanatical in her belief that we are enemies of the world, and she will stop at nothing to kill every person in this base and in this room. This would ruin the Closed Plan, and lead to the extinction of humans on Earth. You, are also a variable they have not accounted for."

"So…what would ORCA have me do then?" James asked curiously.

Thermidor leaned over the desk. His eyes serious and dark. "Hunt our species to extinction."

James's eyes widened, yet he could not stop the smile that curled on his lips.

"We are already confident that Fanchon alone can wipe out ORCA, so we won't have to worry about the twelve of us. What we want you to do is wipe out the remaining Collared Ranked members still loyal to The League, as well as every irregular that you can find. Once Lynx have been removed from the world, it will undergo a collapse as The League loses it's enforcers, and the world can change once again." Mazel explained his plan.

"I can't promise the world will be _better_ with the fall of The League, but it would be irresponsible to allow this one world government to control the fate of humanity. So, that's what we want you to do. Ensure not only the completion of the Closed Plan, but the extinction of the Lynx race as well." Thermidor ordered.

"What would you have me do…" James asked. "If any of ORCA should survive? Or what I should do after the fact?"

"Well, if any of us survive…" Thermidor shrugged, gesturing to himself and Mazel. "The order still stands. But make it a fight to remember." The three of them laughed together in blissful absurdity. "As for you…well, I guess we'll just have to trust you to make the right choice. You'll be representing the entirety of ORCA eventually." He smiled at James, assuredly.

James nodded. "Understood. I'll complete this mission. No matter what it takes."

Thermidor and Mazel nodded approvingly. Just then, a young woman, close to James's age rushed in. She had burgundy hair down to her shoulders and royal blue eyes. However, James could tell she was also a Lynx, based on her choice of a trench coat and combat fatigues, as well as that threatening air of confidence that came with their species.

"Ah Judith." Thermidor greeted. "Come, have you had a chance to meet James here?"

"Uh…" Judith blushed at the tall and handsome young man. James gave her a pleasant smile and a nod. He thought she was pretty. "H-Hello…um, sir. I came to report to you that Old King just left."

Thermidor frowned. "What do you mean he left?"

"He just…took his NEXT and left Big Box. We don't have a fix on where he was going or what he's planning."

James then remembered something. "Err, sir. I received a message from Old King a little while ago, but I ignored it, because I disagree with his…tactics."

"Well, open it. Maybe it will give us a clue." Thermidor ordered. James took out his phone, sliding the message file over to the holographic display, allowing the three others to see it.

The message was of low quality, having clearly been rendered from within Old Kings NEXT.

**/STRATEGY REQUEST**

**LYNX**

**/OLDKING**

**NEXT**

**/LISA**

**/ORCA BRIGADE**

**TARGET**

**/CRADLE03**

" _Ah, greetings lap dog_." The older Slavic man slurred, insulting with casual indifference. " _This is Old King. We're going to destroy Cradle 03. Care to join us? ORCA has been too lenient for too long. In a revolution, blood must be spilled. Don't you think?_ "

The message ended. It was quiet for a moment, but one could hear Thermidor's breathing grow more intense.

"That Liliana motherfucker!" Thermidor lost his composure, slamming his fists into the steel table, metal rending from his strike. No one reacted to his outburst, themselves nearly doing the same in disgust.

"Strayed." Thermidor began. "I have a mission for you. Hunt down Old King. Stop the traitor, before his insanity tears the rest of us down with him."

"Consider it done." Strayed nodded, turning to leave.

"Judith. Go see him out." Thermidor ordered. The young Lynx eagerly following the other out.

"Traitors to their obligations deserve no mercy." Thermidor added as the two Lynx reached the door, leaving just him and Mazel alone.

"What made you so sure he was going to be the one to complete the Closed Plan?" Thermidor asked his partner. The older Lynx turned, with an answer ready.

"His mission records, including those from before he received a Collared Registry, show a consistent pattern of brutality against his own kind." Mazel started.

"Heh. You can say that again." Thermidor rubbed his shoulder. "I still wake up sore from when we fought at Line Ark last month."

"But it's not a mindless or sadistic brutality like Champs or Shamir. No, he always fights to kill, but without glory or excessive cruelty. As for why he's a match against Fanchon, that's easy." Mazel paused for a moment. "Though they are both honorable fighters, without ambition, Fanchon is content with the status quo. Strayed on the other hand, has a fanatical need to bring the corporations to their knees. He has no qualms about who he has to kill to achieve that goal. And he'll do it, without even the slightest shred of mercy, or regret." Mazel smiled with his answer. Thermidor as well, smiled back.

* * *

Middle East / Three hours later

If only he had been a little faster. If only he had fought harder. If only. If only.

Each Cradle was a triple stacked flying wing comprised of twenty-six outer blocks, and a large central block, with thirty-four massive engines; the megastructure was three kilometers wide and stacked to be 400 meters tall. As a grand testament to his failure, Cradle 03-4 sat crumpled in the distance. Burning. A mountain sized pyre, it's twenty million citizens assuredly dead from the crash, falling the seven kilometers back to Earth.

The Lynx solely responsible for it's fall, Old King, was crawling away. His NEXT Lisa was thoroughly broken and smashed, never to fight again. Yet Old King was still alive. That would have to be corrected.

Strayed stalked slowly down the cold sand dunes that made up the majority of the Earth's surface. Draped in a protective suit, covering it's extremities from the deadly and poisonous air, it closed in on their closest enemy.

Cutting off his retreat, Old King looked up, seeing the boots of a Lynx.

"Ah." He spoke slowly, tiredly. "Greetings. La-" Before he could finish with his usual catchphrase, a strike that would have decapitated a normal person slammed down on his head.

"Nuu." Old King groaned into the sands. "Heh. Come to finish me off then. Go ahead. Do it." The omnicidal madman egged him on. But James would see him suffer for what he did.

Reaching down, he tugged and tore at the protective gear covering the fallen Lynx's head, opening it to the air around them.

"N-No!" Old King tugged back on his mask, ultimately losing the fight. "Just-*hap*" He choked on the air. "*hhhhh…aaaaa….*" He breathed deeply, struggling as the surrounding radiation took it's toll.

His skin began to turn grey, blood leaking from every pore, pouring from his mouth as well. "Not…like…this…" The older Lynx pleaded. "Please…Have mercy…"

For what he'd done, Old King deserved every bit of this suffering. But Strayed knew dragging out a kill was wrong. With that in mind, it pulled out a black High Frequency blade.

"…Lap Dog." Old King forced out one last insult, his toothy grin stained red. Together, they plunged the blade into his throat, twisting and pulling slowly as Old King choked on his blood, until finally, they pulled his head free from his body. Discarding the head behind them and kicking his body over backwards into the sand, they could only agree on one thing.

Traitors to their obligations deserve no mercy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Authors Note: My reasoning for why Strayed could easily go 1v10 is because, in my experience, the mission "Defeat Wonderful Body" in ACfA, I know I can defeat the 24th Rank in about two seconds after visual contact. Assuming Strayed is vastly superior to me, then ten irregulars below the skill of the 30th Rank should be no problem for it.
> 
> Also in my original draft I gave Strayed a special Anti-Lynx handgun at the end of the chapter. It was a fun piece of equipment that would still likely exist in this world but narratively it never came up again so it was useless to have, and more effective to simply show emotion by not having it.
> 
> And yes, I was too lazy to give ten characters proper names when their sole function was to immediately die.


	8. One Step Forward, Two Steps Back

Japan / 2017 - Monday - 6:00 AM

James awoke painfully, slowly. Still damaged from his overreaction from the previous day, his hearts where still not fully healed yet, staying silent for the moment. He opened his eyes slowly, finding himself in his room. It seemed apparent that Strayed had taken them home, after finishing whatever chores absolutely needed to be done. Eyes fully opened, he took in the bright, orange sunshine of the morning, blotted only by the shadow of death.

_…What?_

It was strange, his precognition for violence and death. The odd taste or itch or shadow that allowed him to predict, within reason, when someone else might die. Usually it was people he was going to kill. So that misplaced shadow, or feeling, or whatever was enough of a concern to investigate.

Dressing quickly, and arming himself lightly, he followed his instincts next door, up a flight of stairs, and into Sayori's room. He entered quietly, finding the girl sleeping restlessly, distressed. His instincts telling him her life was on notice, giving him pause.

Why would Sayori's life be in danger? She was harmless, innocent, small, weak. She had no enemies as far as he was aware. She was just his neighbor, and the…Vice-President of the Literature Club.

He paused, forcing the pieces to come together. Her life was doubtlessly in peril. They belonged to the same organization. They would find themselves in competition shortly. It was a very familiar set of circumstances. The last time this had happened…he hunted a man down, decapitating him on a sand dune. His next thought changed his demeanor suddenly and violently.

_Was Sayori…a traitor?_

Instantly, a burning rage took hold. A course before him was set, that he would have no doubt or hesitation. It made sense after all. Sayori had been the one to force a friendship. Coerced him to join the club. Forced an investment of what could be called concern. Caused him to suffer massive damage though a psychological warfare tactic.

 _Traitors to their obligations deserve no mercy_. The words ringing in his mind as he stalked forward, quietly containing a mountain of rage. He was a Lynx, bound to do any job, even if it meant cutting down trusted and loyal allies where they stood; traitors, doubly so. He drew his side arm, holding it steady, aiming at her head. He would finish this now, to rid himself of an enemy who had hid so close. Without pause. Without mercy. Without remorse.

 _Perhaps…_ Strayed forced his trigger finger to hold, to pause for a moment. _It would do us well to investigate. If she is a traitor, discover her goals, and her allies_. James would rather not have bothered. He hadn't given Old King that benefit, he was under no obligation to do so. But Strayed was the one who could force them to do anything, without his consent. So Strayed was the one who reached out with his free hand, holding it to Sayori's temple, intending to find the information to prove her intentions.

…

… _Fuck…_ James recoiled suddenly and harshly. He holstered his pistol, then collapsed into Sayori's desk, sitting down. His left hand came up to clutch his forehead, while his right supported himself on the desk. _Well, that would also make sense_ , he thought reluctantly. He turned his head and caught sight of an odd poem on Sayori's desk, taking a moment to read it.

_**%** _

_Get out of my head. Get out of my head. Get out of my head. Get out of my head. Get out of my head. Get out of my head. Get out of my head. Get out of my head. Get out of my head. Get out of my head. Get out of my head. Get out of my head. Get out of my head. Get out of my head. Get out of my head. Get out of my head. Get out of my head. Get out of my head. Get out of my head. Get out of my head. Get out of my head. Get out of my head. Get out of my head. Get out of my head. Get out of my head. Get out of my head. Get out of my head. Get out of my head. Get out of my head. Get out of my head. Get out of my head. Get out of my head. Get out of my head. Get out of my head. Get out of my head. Get out of my head. Get out of my head. Get out of my head. Get out of my head. Get out of  
Get.  
Out.  
Of.  
My.  
Head._

_Get out of my head before I do what I know is best for you.  
Get out of my head before I listen to everything she said to me.  
Get out of my head before I show you how much I love you.  
Get out of my head before I finish writing this poem._

_But a poem is never actually finished.  
It just stops moving._

James frowned, searching his brain for another of the memories gleamed from Sayori. He turned to her, seeing her restless and troubled sleep, and got on his knees beside her. Reaching under her bed, matching a memory, he grabbed an item, pulling it out to reveal a rope, tied in a noose.

He clenched his teeth painfully, clutching the rope, as he reluctantly sat down on the floor. It brought a buried and forgotten memory to his mind.

_Walking along a high catwalk over the residential district. Foul air and buildings made of trash. A teenage girl, running past, bumping into him. He turned, catching sight of her swinging her legs over the railing. She looked back at him, her eyes possessed with desperation, and finality. Without a word she let go of the railing. He knew he could have caught her, but why bother? She made her choice, and he could only watch with dismissive curiosity as she fell, crashing and tumbling against sheet metal roofs, a sound so distinct the residents had taken to calling it, 'Death Clanging.' The chorus of death she started echoed across the underground streets, only to be met with a reply in the distance. And another. And another._

James shook his head to forget the memory. For every innocent person he had shot, a hundred more had simply found a high enough spot and jumped. He hadn't cared in the slightest then, so why did he think about it now? Why did the thought of Sayori joining in their chorus of silence…bring back that unnatural dread? He was a Lynx. He was specifically made to fight and kill and do so without ever caring about those he hunted. But he couldn't leave Sayori as she was now, that would be the same as if he had pulled the trigger on her himself.

He hated to admit it, but he valued Sayori, her existence was pleasant. A far cry from the wary and worn faces of people from his time. A sweet relief from the patiently cruel faces on his own kind. A kind counter to his own disinterest and inability. As loathsome as it was, Sayori was important to him.

Then, an idea. A loophole. A reason. They were members of the same club, it was therefore pertinent to protect his club members from any threat, including themselves. _Strayed._ He asked to his other mind. _Can you help her?_

 _That would be…inadvisable_. Strayed explained. _I can change her thoughts, force her to be happy, but that would be an act of psychic warfare. There's no telling what kind of damage I might do in forcing her mind to accept a new interpretation of reality_ , _or to simply forget something she's been keeping secret for so long._

James forced himself to relax, to maintain a balance after seeing Sayori's current state of mind; after almost taking her life, simply because it made sense at the time. He reached for her, placing a hand on her face, index and middle fingers pressed against her temple.

 _Do. It._ James demanded. Strayed considered it, guessing that it would likely create problems in the future, but even it could not deny that they had an obligation to do something. Reluctantly, it dove back into the girl's tormented mind, intent on forcing her to change, the only way it knew how.

* * *

Sayori's nightmare was the worst it had ever been. Monika's convincing and cruel suggestion. James denying her feelings.

The thought of James and Natsuki, spending time together. Holding hands. Hugging dearly. She imagined them pulling each other close, their lips meeting sweetly. She forced herself to watch as he took her, them clinging passionately to each other. Her vision of Natsuki mounted her prize, a prize that she had seemingly handed to the smaller girl on a silver platter. It only solidified her resolve, that as soon as she woke up, she would take her own…

Then her haunting visions ended, and everything went dark.

She didn't feel like she woke up. But she was too lucid now to be dreaming. She was in a place that was not. That had no feeling. That was out of her control.

" _Sayori._ " A familiar voice called her in the void. She turned to see James…but never as she could ever imagine him.

He wore a long, worn, black trench coat, with armor and belts and pouches like she had seen in the military. He was armed as well. A gun on his hip, and several large knives where he could easily reach. She was always used to seeing him looking indifferent, confused, or unamused. This was the first time she had ever saw him looking…truly sad. Gently, he had strode over to her, leaning down to her level, caressing her face sweetly.

She adored the attention and hated it at the same time.

" _I want you to forgive me_ …" James pleaded to her, forcing her attention back on him. "… _for what I'm about to do_."

"Wha..?" She hummed the question quietly, confused. She felt it before she could see it. A presence that demanded respect. A presence that stunk of violent death. Terribly hot and unbearably cold, a black claw settled on her shoulder, spinning her around.

She was so surprised by it, she didn't know what to think or feel about it. Her mind kept coming up short, failing to understand what she was seeing and feeling. It was a contradiction, an impossibility. What she could see was that it was taller than her; whether that was two meters or ten, she couldn't tell. It had a head, like a bird, with a long snout. It's eye, which was either one or a hundred, ran around this snout, a bright red glare, but without malice or hate. Almost, sadness? Yet it's presence alone radiated three prominent ideas. Patience. Indifference. Violence.

As she stood there, paralyzed by this figure of absoluteness, it came closer, it's large claw still holding her shoulder. It's other, raised, then thrust forward. Sayori shuttered, looking down slowly, seeing it's entire claw embedded deep inside her body, blood pouring from around it's wrist. She gasped quietly, more confused than anything. She looked back up, unable to ask what she didn't even understand. Then with both claws, it forced her down to the ground, and began digging it's way inside her.

Then she understood what she was feeling. She screamed loudly, louder than even she could imagine. It was an existential pain, permeating the entirety of all she understood and all she could comprehend. Rending and tearing, digging deeper and deeper inside of her, violating her very existence. It wasn't just forcing her open, exposing all that she was and had ever been to this _thing_. It was cutting, ripping, taking something that was a part of her, forcing her to split. She cried and wailed and screamed, desperately trying to crawl away, or force the foreign presence to leave her. Yet no matter how deep it dug inside her, no matter how much blood she lost, she wouldn't die. Even as it seemed to force it's claws along every inch of her insides, even as she choked on her own blood.

It's long, terrible claws, digging and cutting. Searing heat and freezing burns traveled though her entirety, as it tore it's way through her. Every moment it was inside of her, she could feel herself being…unassociated. Her own thoughts leaving her, being taken, being turned. Memories and feeling, truths and lies became known to this thing. And it changed them, forcing her to believe something else, making her something she felt was her, but that she knew was not.

It felt like hours. It felt like it would never end, but it did. Suddenly and without warning, the thing digging inside of her seemed to find what it wanted and tore it out of her with one last violent twist. Despite her experience, even with the damage she sustained, she could move. She scrambled to her feet, desperately holding the hole in her, and ran as fast as she could towards a light in the distance. She spared a glance at her intimate tormenter; terribly afraid it would try and touch her again.

Instead, it seemed preoccupied. A rope hung, coiled around it's bloodied claw. At the end of the rope, was herself, hanging limply, with eyes dull and dead. With one final surge, she lunged for the light…

* * *

Sayori awoke with a terrible start. She leapt out of bed panting, drenched in sweat. It had been so real, so much pain, so much. Yet she couldn't calm down. Desperately, she tore at the buttons on her shirt. She had to know, had to see the damage done to her body.

Nothing. Nothing but smooth, soft skin, unmarred by black claws. _Black claws_? She questioned. That wasn't it. She had been dreaming about…

What had she been dreaming about? She didn't know. All that she did know was that as soon as she woke up, she was going to…

Going to do what? She didn't remember, but she had decided to do that because she had seen…

Seen what? She still couldn't remember, but she had written a poem about it, and left it on her desk…

Or not? She couldn't remember writing a poem, and there was no new poem on her desk now. How odd.

Her thoughts were interrupted by a sweet smell coming from below. Eagerly following it, she found James, dressed in his school uniform, working in her kitchen.

"James? What are you doing?" She questioned curiously.

James glanced over her, lingering on her eyes for a moment. A look of sadness beheld in his eyes, it was gone in an instant, and he answered her. "Making you breakfast."

"What are you making?" She asked.

"Cupcakes."

Sayori cocked her head in confusion. "Why are you making cupcakes for breakfast?"

A desperate and embarrassed look crossed his face. "Because that's all I know how to make."

Sayori considered his answer, and began to giggle at him openly. She rushed forward to hug him, which he accepted, patting her back in return. "Thank you!" She cooed sweetly.

"Mmm." James hummed in response. "Go clean up. It will be ready soon."

"Okay-EEP!" Sayori looked down, realizing she had left her shirt open. But that didn't matter because James hadn't been looking at her there…

Why…did she think that? James was her best friend. Of course, he wouldn't look at her like that…

Why did she want him to look? She didn't like…

But why…

Her mind ground to a halt for a moment, before an automatic thought response, left there by a _something_ else, kicked in, forcing her to continue with a line of thinking that wouldn't leave her asking questions. She went back upstairs to shower and change. She had a long day ahead of her after all.

* * *

School / Hours Later

"Hello James! Sayori! You guys are the first ones here!" Monika greeted kindly. "Thanks for being early!"

"I wouldn't miss this for anything!" Sayori cheered, being her usual self. Or rather, as close as Strayed could estimate.

"…" James didn't say anything to Monika. He'd been in Sayori's head, so he knew what Monika said to her. His commitment to this organization demanded he kill her now, but he stayed his hand. That would make Sayori sad; she did not remember it now, but those words had cut her deeply, influencing the choice she had almost made. For some damning reason, James suspected Sayori would rather forgive her. He didn't really understand Sayori, but he would _attempt_ to follow her example.

Shortly though, Natsuki and Yuri came in as well. Yuri was holding a few bags and banners.

"Good! I was worried you'd forget to bring the cupcakes!" Natsuki accused him. She went over to talk to Sayori.

"Eh…James?" Yuri asked with a whisper. "Could…I get your help to set up the decorations?"

"…Sure." James replied to her flatly. They both went about setting up several banners that quickly changed the mood of the classroom to be more relaxed. It was odd, but it didn't discomfort the Lynx.

As far as he knew, the festival day worked as such: Each club had an operational shift time (that varied based on member count and such) so that all the students would get a chance to see what each club was offering or put on to show. Larger clubs, with their advanced member counts, could maintain an audience for most of the day by keeping their members on work shifts. Smaller clubs, like the Literature Club, were set up to provide an audience first so they could then disperse and enjoy the other performances and the like, which was good, because then James would only have to speak publicly once.

After Yuri and him had set up the decorations, Natsuki set out the cupcakes, and Monika and Sayori /harassed/ encouraged passersby's to come and visit the club, they had about two dozen students enter the clubroom and take a seat. James could easily divide them into five groups: those that wanted to gawk at the girls; those that wanted to gawk at the foreigner; those that knew Monika and were her "friends"; those that wanted a free cupcake; and the smallest group that had a legitimate interest in literature.

"Hello everyone!" Monika beamed with confidence. The rest of her club was seated off to the side, ready to do their performances. "Welcome to the Literature Club! My name is Monika, and today we'll be doing a little poetry reading for you! I hope you enjoy!"

With that, Monika started her poem. It was a new one, done with just as much passion and energy that she was known for. It was about, well, something existential again. Like she was speaking to another person, whether that was god or some other external entity was not entirely clear. She finished and received applause from everyone. With her poem done, Sayori took the podium next.

"Hi! Hehe, I'm Sayori! The Vice-President of the club!" She excitedly explained before she did her poem. She had more confidence than their practice run the week prior. James was just glad that this part of her hadn't been damaged from the morning's events. Her poem was about something bittersweet, that sent a shiver down his spine. It was finished in short order and she received her due applause. Next up was Yuri.

"H-Hello. My name is…Yuri." She was barely audible to everyone, trying not to face the crowd present. Encouraging gestures from her clubmates helped her to begin. Much like her usual style, this poem had sudden twists that turned a handful of guests green with sickness or tense in apprehension. At least she had given a powerful and forceful performance. When she finished, her club members reminded their guests to applaud. Afterwards, James came forward.

"Hello. My name is James." He ignored the quiet snickers coming from those who wanted to point out the tall and cold-eyed foreigner. "Though I may be an amateur, I have learned much about writing. Thus, I proudly present my piece." He then presented his first proper poem, using the speaking techniques of his colleagues to its fullest, silencing those who doubted his intelligence. He earned his applause, which was an odd feeling; no one usually enjoyed the jobs he'd done. With that out of the way, he made way for Natsuki.

"Hi. My name is Natsuki." She began with nervous levels of confidence. "And…this is a poem I've written. It's…totally not about or for anyone, got it!" She threatened, implying she had written this poem with someone in mind. Sure enough, it was another love poem, albeit vague, her glancing off in James's direction every now and then was concerningly telling. He clapped for it of course, but he was going to have to tell her at some point to stop.

With everyone's poem read and done, their faithful guests took their free cupcakes and left abruptly.

"P-Please feel free to come by sometime!" Monika called after the leaving group. "We meet afterschool everyday!..." She was clearly forcing a smile as the clubroom emptied out to just the five members. "That…went really well!" She exclaimed, happy that no one had fumbled over their poems.

"I…think they just came for the cupcakes." Natsuki muttered loudly, equal parts disappointed and proud.

"Mmm!" Sayori tried to talk while she was eating her own cupcake. "Several of them took flyers, so maybe we'll see new members!"

"Hmm…That's true! Okay, so we'll see tomorrow how successful we were!" Monika agreed. "Great job on the cooking you two. And Yuri, you did really great changing the atmosphere!"

"Ah…Thanks." Yuri smiled appreciatively.

"…" James's face contorted for a moment. "Ah. Okay. I thought when Yuri was supposed to change the 'atmosphere' that you meant the air, not the decor." He said to everyone present.

"…" They all stared at him for a moment. Then Natsuki started to cackle in laughter, followed shortly by Sayori. Yuri and Monika settled on giggling at him. Unfazed, James picked up a cupcake and shoved it into his mouth, pretending to act like a human.

"Alright. I'm going to clean up in here. You four go and explore the festival, yeah?" Monika suggested to her club with a kind smile.

The girls responded kindly, but James was still quiet, replying only with a narrowing of his eyes, before turning away, a reluctant escort to his clubmates.

"So, what are we going to see first?" Natsuki asked their group.

"Hmm. Let's get something to eat!" Sayori suggested.

"You-were just eating before." James turned to her, his eyes narrowed with annoyance. Well, at least he got that right.

"I…wouldn't mind seeing what activities there are." Yuri quietly thought.

"Mmm, yeah okay! Let's do something fun!" Natsuki cheered, leading the way for them, James just sort of aimlessly attached, but welcomingly so. It was still morning, so the girls led him outside to see the outside events before the afternoon sun. Sayori and Natsuki were leading the way, bantering on about things they wanted to see and do. Yuri was behind their group, reading and walking. They were passing the track and field, when a group of boys their age intersected their group.

"Hey beautiful, come check out the weightlifting, we'll be putting on a performance."

"Oh…I don't…know about that…" Yuri could be heard.

"Hey there cutie, come see what we are getting up too."

"Ah. That's umm…nice of you, um." Sayori said.

A few steps later, James and Natsuki were walking alone.

"What! What the!?" Natsuki ground her teeth. She grabbed James by the arm and marched after their friends, grumbling about body proportions and the like. They came upon the group, being made up of sweaty boys doing work outs and a few girls cheering them on. The only two quiet girls, the members of the Literature Club, looked around apprehensively. Soon though, they were joined by their other two members, looking somewhat more relaxed. One of the guys was doing a dead lift, forcing two-hundred pounds over his head with a lot of effort. He looked over expectantly, only to frown as the girl he'd dragged over was distracted by the foreigner and the flat-chested girl he'd ignored.

"Hey ladies! Shows over here!" He called out, smiling.

"Hmm! You got a lot of nerve, dragging my friends away just to show off!" Natsuki approached accusingly, hands curled in fists, held at her hips.

"Oh, and what are you going to do about it, ironing board?" He insulted her with a smirk.

Natsuki gave a growl, before leaning down, grabbing the two-hundred pound weight, forcing it above her head with all her might. James appraised the action, estimating that for her weight class that it was a rather impressive feat of strength for a human. He started to clap for her.

Some of the gawking girls laughed at the guy for being shown up by a smaller girl, and he fled out of sight.

"Hey you!" A larger boy, a few inches taller than James, tapped him on the side of the head, much to his annoyance. "You're that foreigner, heh. Let's see you do this." He then went over to a four-hundred-pound weight, and with massive effort, forced it over his head in a dead lift.

James was not impressed or interested in the challenge. "Meh. It's not interesting."

"HAHA!" The taller boy laughed at him. "You're just going to chicken-out without trying?"

James, who had no idea what flightless, domesticated birds had to do with weightlifting, shrugged in confusion. "Feats of physical strength aren't a good judge of character where I am from."

"Hehe. Hey everyone!" The boy called out. "The foreigner is chickening out of a weight lift!" All the other boys and non-Literature Club girls laughed mockingly. James shrugged; it was beneath his concern.

"Hey!" Sayori called from his side. "I know you can do it! Show this guy who's stronger!"

James cocked his head curiously at her. He then turned to his other club mates.

"Kick his ass James!" Natsuki violently encouraged.

"I-believe in you!" Yuri stuttered but encouraged as well.

James turned back to Sayori, her pleading look a fraction away from that terrible sadness that had haunted him the day prior. He sighed, nodding to her, and walking over to the weighted bar on the ground.

He cocked his head at it. "Well. Add to it first."

"Eh?" The taller boy questioned.

"I'd like to get this done quickly. So just add a few more weights to it." James explained with a bored expression.

"Hehe." The tall boy nodded cockily. "I got you." He and another boy added another hundred pounds to the weight.

"Is that all?" James asked. The boys looked at him curiously, before adding another hundred.

With a shrug, James nodded at their work. He stepped up to the bar, then suddenly lifted it above his head quickly and without effort. He could have easily added another half-ton to the mass, even without his hearts working, but knew that for his own weight it would be suspicious if he could lift anymore, especially since his high density structure made him appear to be nearly a hundred pounds lighter than he really was.

There was a resounding silence.

"…What?" James shrugged, accidently letting the bar fall to his chest height while still in one hand.

The silence got louder.

It took him a moment, but then James realized he was holding a six-hundred-pound weight in one hand without displaying even the slightest amount of effort.

"Ah." James frowned, walking over to the taller boy. "I believe this is yours." He then handed the bar back to him, dropping him faster than his jaw had dropped a moment before. James turned, grabbing Sayori's hand, pushing on Natsuki's back, and shooting Yuri a look that told her to follow.

"That…was…amazing!" Sayori shouted a few moments later, James having let go of her so she could jump and cheer at that moment.

"That was really impressive." Yuri added shyly, hiding behind a book.

"Jeez, how strong are you?" Natsuki questioned with an incredulous look.

"Ah…" James shrugged. "That's really quite average where I am from." Which was technically true.

"Hmm. Alright. But now I'm hungry from lifting that weight." Natsuki patted her belly lightly.

"Ah here!" Sayori handed over a bill. "My treat for the cookie." She smiled cheerfully, ignoring the fact that that was the money she had borrowed. They went to a cart selling a variety of fried foods. Sayori had fun explaining to James what exactly "fried" meant. Afterwards, they went back inside the school, browsing through classrooms.

"Oh. Look at this." Yuri fixated on a particular poster. "It says this classroom was turned into a haunted house. Can we check that out?"

"Ah, oh…I don't know. What do you guys say?" Sayori avoided answering.

"Hmm." Natsuki pouted. "I bet it won't be that scary."

"Eh. Okay." James dismissively agreed, uncertain what he was going to see. They got to the classroom, which was darkened, and had several banners advertising an adventurous and disturbing experience. A student was dressed up in dark robes, coercing passersby to come experience it. A variety of low moaning sounds could be heard from the entrance.

The first room was both an entrance and an exit, with signs marked as such. The first proper room was dark, a random assortment of objects, meant to illicit an emotional response, were all over the room; mostly just larger than average insects, some of which twitched with mechanical consistency. There was a low hanging structure that they would have to pass under in order to continue, sort of like a tunnel. James could smell and hear a person on top of this structure. Sure enough, a pair of pale hands reached down, gently trailing Sayori and Natsuki's heads.

Both girls screeched loudly, leaping back and grabbing onto James, much to his annoyance. Yuri could be heard behind them, giggling cruelly. The next room was much of the same, but this time there were a few scattered human limps, fake, if their smell and texture where anything to go by. There was a television running in the room, playing static, that they would have to pass. James could again sense that someone was under it.

"…" Sayori and Natsuki paused before passing the TV. "You know what? Yuri, you go ahead this time." Natsuki firmly suggested.

"Hm, okay." Yuri sweetly skipped out to the front of the group, passing by the television without incident. Next Sayori went by, followed closely by James, and Natsuki, who hadn't let go of him still. When they went past it though the room went dark, and James could finally hear movement from the TV. The television then came on again, but this time the screen was farther away, and a pale skinned girl with long black hair was crawling out of the gap, creating the impression that she had come out of the TV.

This time, Yuri actually gasped as she turned around to this sight, but quickly recovered and looked on curiously. Both Natsuki and Sayori grabbed James's arms tightly, too which he just walked away while rolling his eyes. He was tired of this already. As the two shorter girls hurried through the third dark corridor to the last room, James sent a psychic command that forced both to stop and shut down for a moment. He then picked up Natsuki and placed her next to Sayori, before letting them wake up slightly disoriented but just as anxious. They didn't even seem to realize they weren't next to him anymore.

The last room had lots of "sharp" objects and a few fake corpses. To James, they were almost comically fake, having seen his fair share of real bodies. Lastly, in this room there was a girl with her back turned, who they would be forced to pass to exit the room.

"Tell me…" The girl asked. "Do you think I'm pretty?"

"Ah, um…" Sayori hesitated. Natsuki had closed her eyes and didn't seem to notice much. Yuri, who was now off to the side, seemed to perk up knowingly.

"Yes?" Sayori finally answered.

"Really? How about now?" The girl turned to face them, opening her mouth and letting out a screech. Her face had been done in makeup to make it look like it was split open from the mouth. However, in the low lighting, James was the only one who could tell as much, while Yuri just assumed it.

On the other hand, Sayori screamed, clutching the closest person she could find. Natsuki must have opened her eyes because she screamed too and grabbed Sayori back. They both ran out of the exit together. James rolled his eyes, simply glad to avoid the forced contact. He left calmly, only nodding to the split faced girl who gave a bow. He could hear Yuri behind him, asking questions to the girl.

Outside the room, James found Sayori and Natsuki catching their breaths, and still holding their hands. He circled around them to stand at their front. Both girls looked up at each other to realize that the other was not James. Both jumped back with a blush on their faces.

Strayed eyed this curiously, considering it as a solution to possible future problems.

"That was…just so lame." Natsuki tried to dismiss.

"Y-Yeah. I wasn't scared at all." Sayori also defended. "What did you think James?"

"Eh. I've done worse." He slipped for a moment. "Er-done worse events like this."

"Well! Let's go play a game then!" Natsuki suggested. After waiting a moment for Yuri to come out, the group went to a classroom with several carnival styled games set up.

"Hey-um...James?" Sayori asked awkwardly, fingers pressed together and avoiding his gaze. "Could I-um…borrow some money?"

"…" James silently handed her another 2000 Yen. It would have been easy to make it so she would stop asking him for that, but James appreciated her mannerisms too much to have Strayed wipe out aspects of her personality.

"Ah! Thank you!" Sayori cried sweetly, skipping off with Yuri to one of the stands. James turned to see Natsuki looking excitedly at another stand, which seemed to have large stuffed approximations of bears as a prize. She handed over her money and received three small darts.

"Pop three balloons of the same color to win the prize!" The student manning the booth explained. Natsuki took one dart, throwing it at a green balloon with success. She took aim again, getting a second green balloon. Excitedly, she threw her third, but hit nothing.

"Ah, better luck next time!" The student announced. Natsuki frowned, despondently turning around to look at James hopefully.

"Um…" She looked up to him with an embarrassed expression. "If…mmm."

"…"

"N-Never mind..." She sadly accepted. James silently put a hand on her shoulder, then walked past her to the booth. She followed his movement with hopeful surprise.

"I'll have a go.", James told the booth attendant. He forked over the money and received his three darts. Taking a moment to appraise the darts, he rolled them between his fingers.

"…"

Sure enough, each dart was weighted slightly differently. It wasn't much, but enough that each one would fly with a distinct arch. Additionally, there was small variations in their fin structure, further increasing the difference between each dart.

"You-um, gonna throw them?" The booth attendant asked sheepishly. James stopped, and gave the young man a knowing smile.

With a flick of his arm, each dart was held between a different finger, splayed like claws. He then raised his arm quickly, rearing it back. With but a glance at the target board, he threw all three darts, appearing to do so all at once. The next moment, the darts were embedded in the board, having lanced three red balloons.

The booth attendant looked on, mouth agape. Closing his mouth with a gulp, he announced. "C-Congratulations. Here is your prize." The student handed him a stuffed bear. James took it neutrally, turning to see Natsuki with a surprised and happy expression. He held it out for her.

"T-Thank you." She quietly stuttered, taking the prize and holding it close, smiling for him.

"…" James watched with mild curiosity. A job with no screaming. Payment in a smile. It was a different experience. It was…

"Hey!" Sayori bounded up to them with a hop, smiling widely. "Awe, that's so cute!" She gestured to Natsuki's prize. Natsuki held it tighter. "I had a lot of fun guys. Let's go see Monika so she can hang out with us."

Natsuki nodded, following Sayori as she left. Yuri followed as well, a quiet but pleasant look on her. James sighed, following automatically. Several hallways later and they saw Monika hanging out near another clubroom, speaking to some of her friends. Passing the room, James couldn't help but overhear a conversation. Without warning he turned, walking into the room.

Having watched her club members approach, Monika's smile turned to apprehension as James took a sudden turn into her former club. She left her friends and ignored her club, causing a deal of concern for the latter, as she followed James into the room, hoping to stop him from making a fool of himself.

James found himself in the middle of a civil argument over something he could not quite ignore.

"Article Nine of the Constitution renounces our _sovereign right of belligerency_ , meaning we cannot legally enter a foreign war." The first side, led by a well-dressed girl with glasses, declared.

"So what? You would just allow those terrorists to behead two of our countrymen and do nothing in response?" The second side, led by a clean looking skinny boy, replied.

"Firstly, that was two years ago. Secondly, they knew the risk they were taking when they entered that war-torn region. Besides, look at America, they entered that region sixteen years ago and they've never left." The first side agued back.

The second side was preparing a counter when they were interrupted. James couldn't help but snicker at their petty arguments, and he was overheard.

"Excuse me, do you have something you'd like to add to this conversation? Mr…?" The boy on side two asked.

"Klein. James Klein." He stepped forward proudly, no longer snickering. "I just find it odd you would criticize a culture for beheading when this nation has a long, proud history of taking the heads of it's enemies." He had found history to be a fascinating subject, because it filled the holes in his knowledge about events before the Great Destructions.

"…" The boy cringed.

"That…" The girl from side one answered back. "May be true, but that is ancient history." As soon as she finished her sentence, a reply was ready for her.

"You consider the previous century to be ancient history?" James questioned harshly. "There are still countrymen of yours alive today who proudly took the heads of their enemies 'in the name of the empire'."

This time the girl cringed at how quickly her argument was deconstructed.

"Oh?" The boy of side two joined back in the conversation. "And what of your _culture_? What is the history of your _people_?" There was a mocking tone in his words, but James ignored it.

"My…'people'." James took a breath. "My people have a long history of fighting, as mercenaries. It did not matter how far we traveled, who's side we were on, or even how many lives we would be asked to take. If given a job, we would take it."

"That's…" The girl was taken aback. "That's not something to be proud of." She tried to argue.

"Oh?" James questioned. "Who are you to say what a culture can and can't be proud of?"

"It's just that…" The opposing boy reasoned. "Being proud of fighting for the sake of fighting is just…barbaric."

"Heh." James smirked. "It's not that I'm proud of my cultures' disposition on war and violence…which I am, I've just come to accept it as a part of human nature."

"That's a very sad view of the human race." The girl answered back at him. "Humans are capable of many good things. Of stopping conflicts."

"Tsk." James hissed. "Humans have been waging war for thousands of years. And I can assure you with absolute confidence that war will continue for at least another five centuries or so, and no less." With that he walked away, already bored with the argument he had derailed for no reason at all. He hadn't been fair to the students in the Debate Club, seeing as he already knew the future the world would take. He'd bet most of the kids he'd just spoken to would be dead in a decade or two. The Thirty-Years War was coming rather soon by his estimation, and it would end with Tokyo, and every other major city, being glassed over by an orbital weapon.

As he passed Monika, she froze. She had been expecting to drag him away to keep him from embarrassing himself in front of the more outspoken and intelligent students in her former club. Instead, he had absolutely wiped the floor with them, flaunting a confidence he rarely showed, and sharing a little more of his background, something she noted.

Outside the Debate Club, James met with Natsuki and Yuri, who had both been listening curiously. He looked around for a moment.

"Where is Sayori?" He asked with mild concern, eyes narrowing.

* * *

There was something in how James answered the debate club. Tore their arguments apart. The tone he used. The information he shared about his culture. Whatever it was drove a sharp, crawling pain up Sayori's chest.

She had to step away. Rushing to a nearby bathroom, Sayori gasped painfully, clutching at her chest. It felt like someone was clawing at her insides, dragging long blades through her flesh. Once in front of a mirror, she lifted her shirt to find…

Nothing. Smooth, unmarred skin. Sayori relaxed, lowering her shirt; the pain had passed. Just her imagination. Odd, hadn't she been in this position before?

A black claw settled firmly on her shoulder. She could feel the pressure of it's powerful grasp.

Sayori shrieked, turning to push away the intruder, only to find no one and nothing behind her. She backed herself to the corner, hugging herself tightly, sliding down the wall.

It wasn't right. Something was wrong. She knew she had bad days, days where her rainclouds would chase her fun away. This was different. A terror without a name. Pain beyond imagination. A memory she didn't have.

It didn't make any sense at all. Normally she had to fight to keep her happy thoughts. Now the thoughts were fighting back, forcing her to forget her sadness, her fear.

She covered her ears with her hands, a scream caught in her throat. A name she had never heard, that she shouldn't be allowed to know, that she knew more intimately than anyone's. She wanted so desperately to forget, but how could she? How could she forget when it's apathetic red glare had bored through her, undoing her? Remaking her.

That name was…

Was…

"Sayori!" Shouted a real person. Sayori flinched, realizing someone was touching her. She looked up to see Yuri, with her hands over her own. She had a look of deep concern and worry. Behind her, Natsuki nervously clutched her skirt, a look bordering fear in her eyes.

"Oh, hello." Sayori answered in surprise. In that moment, she had forgotten that struggle, of knowing a name she didn't know. A memory she didn't have.

"Are you…alright?" Yuri asked seriously.

"Yep! Just felt a little funny." Sayori cocked a confident smile.

"A-Alright. Just, please be careful." Yuri advised her. She stood up, helping Sayori stand as well. As she did, Natsuki pounced on her, bringing her into a hug.

"D-Don't! Scare me like that again! You hear me!" Natsuki warned her. Sayori warmly returned the gesture.

"Don't worry about me. Everything's alright." Sayori told her friends with a bright smile.

* * *

Several hours later and the special school day had ended. Sayori had had so much fun she exhausted herself, deciding to take a nap now, to the inconvenience of James.

"Okay everyone. Today went really well. I'll see you all tomorrow!" Monika called as she left.

"I-had a lot of fun. See you tomorrow." Yuri quietly announced, leaving as well.

James nodded them off, turning to deal with Sayori. She had really enjoyed herself today. That was something he could appreciate. Needing to get home though, he picked Sayori up from the desk she was sitting in, and slung her over his shoulder, such that he would still have a free arm should he need to use it.

Natsuki, who had been collecting her used cupcake trays, turned around, only to flinch at the sight. "James!" She screeched out. "You! You can't hold Sayori like that!"

"Hmm?" James turned to her puzzled. Natsuki looked away with a blush.

"You're! It's, well! You're exposing her! Here, bring her down." Natsuki ordered him. She had him bring Sayori down, picking her up in his arms with her head against his chest.

"T-There." Natsuki stuttered slightly. Sayori looked really comfortable in his arms, and she was rather jealous of her current position. "You, you really care about her, don't you?"

"…" James sighed, his eyes regarding the sleeping girl sadly. "She's a club member. We take care of our own." Turning to regard her, he smiled lightly. "But, she is a…friend. I don't have many friends actually. Just four. But that's more than enough."

Natsuki seemed to understand, nodding with a smile. She gave him a half hug he wasn't able to respond to in his position and turned to leave. She picked up the prize he had gotten for her, holding it close.

"I'll…see you tomorrow. Goodbye." She called sweetly, before she left as well. James left after her, to drop someone off first.

* * *

James set Sayori on her bed, removing her coat and shoes. He turned to go, but Sayori sleepily clung to him, cooing lightly in her sleep. James sighed regrettably.

Besides keeping her from hurting herself, he had had Strayed wipe as much of her feelings towards him that they could. Even so, there were some things that they could not change without changing her overall personality. She may no longer think it, but she still acted like she was seeking comfort and closeness. James frowned, gently running fingers through her hair.

He'd hurt her terribly, changed her without her consent, tore her apart. She could never forgive him, and he would accept that. His was not to seek forgiveness, it was to act when action was necessary. When no one else would act, he did so, without hesitation. Without regret.

" _In order to protect something, you have to throw away everything_." That was what Fiona had told him. Maybe this is what she meant.

Tucking Sayori in, he left, returning home. On his desk were two damning items. Sayori's poem, written in agony, and a noose. He was half a mind to destroy the poem but decided instead to set it aside in a folder. The rope was a rope. He undid its knot, setting it with his equipment in case he ever needed a rope.

With that done, he set about to write another poem for the following day. That, along with a few other projects that required his attention.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Authors Note: This chapter was emotionally draining to write. I hope it will meet your expectations.


	9. Lynx will be Lynx

Club/Next Day

The monotonizing routine was comforting. Having to adapt to changes was within his capabilities, but unpleasant.

"Hello James!" Monika greeted him sweetly, swaying eagerly.

"…" James gave her an acknowledging nod, but nothing more. He came into the club, finding it with it's usual members. Nearby, Sayori as she puzzled herself over a potential poem.

"Sayori."

"Oh, hello." She smiled kindly. James passed her, but not before giving her shoulder a light squeeze, eliciting a hum in response. Next, he walked over to Yuri, her nose deep in a book.

"Yuri."

"Oh! H-Hello James." Yuri stuttered in surprise. He gave her a nod, which she smiled appreciatively at. Finally, he walked to the closet, finding Natsuki reaching fruitlessly again for a book too high for her. Without waiting for her to argue with him, he reached over her and grabbed it for her.

"Hey! I could have gotten that myself!" Natsuki turned to yell at him. He refused to change his expression, simply handing her the book.

"Natsuki." He uttered with the same neutrality he had greeted the other girls with already.

Natsuki's expression softened, unwilling to verbally admit her appreciation to him, doing so with a smile instead. He supposed he would have been fine with simply reading with her again, something simple and quiet, if it was not for the sound of footsteps coming to the door. Instinctively, he turned, reaching for a well-hidden gun, then relaxed and waited to see who would appear.

The door creaked open quietly, which seemed to deafen the room and draw attention from the club members whose ears weren't augmented.

"Eh, hello? Is this the literature club?" A plain looking boy entered the club. He was followed shortly by two others. The first being a short, yet exceedingly round boy. The second was, oddly, the clean looking boy from the debate club, the one James had been arguing with.

"Ohhhhh." The heavier boy looked around the room, his eyes wide, eyesight a little too low to be memorizing faces.

The clean looking debate boy looked around the room with a concerning grin. With the three of them in the room, James could smell the heavy musk of testosterone fill the air, contrasting heavily with the other pheromones he'd been smelling for the past week. Some part of him, whether conscious or not, was set on edge.

He could hear Natsuki beside him set on the defensive, similar to how she was when they first met, yet with no ulterior motive like before. He could see Yuri as well, tensing defensively, nervously.

"Hello! Welcome to the Literature Club!" Sayori cheerfully greeted.

"Ah, Riku, what are you doing here?" Monika questioned the debate club member, her brow arched in confusion.

"Well, I wanted to see what kind of club you had made Monika, and to meet your, ah…" The boy, Riku, glanced in James's direction momentarily. He then glanced in Sayori's direction, eyes starting from the floor and moving back up. "…interesting club members."

"Ah don't you worry." Sayori interjected. "Monika made the best club there is!"

"Mm, yes, I've done my best…" Monika trailed off, looking to Sayori questionably. Sayori didn't notice and continued.

"Why don't you three make yourselves at home. Ah, but I'm curious, what are your names?" Sayori asked politely.

"Hey. I'm Sota." The plain looking guy commented quietly, his hands in his pockets.

"Hello, I'm Yuto. Ah." The larger boy announced. His gaze glanced over club members, coming to rest near James, causing Natsuki to squirm next to him. "What are your names?"

"I'm Sayori!" She announced helpfully. "And you already know Monika. The quiet bookworm is Yuri, and over by the closet is James and Natsuki."

"Ah, Sayori, it's a pleasure to meet you." Riku moved to take her hand in a long, drawn out handshake, which ended with Sayori taking her hand back with some effort.

"Um…Nice to meet you too…" Sayori's enthusiasm dulled a little, her head dropping a little to break eye contact.

"Well, go ahead and get comfortable. For the moment we are working on our own projects or sharing interest. Later on we will be sharing poems we've written. But please, remember to have fun!" Monika informed the three new people. Riku followed Sayori to see what she was doing, Sota stayed with Monika to talk to her, and Yuto…was coming in their direction.

"Um, hello, Natsuki was it?" Yuto asked her, completely ignoring the taller foreigner. James made a mental approximation of his weight and found it was higher than his own, which for his height and density would be concerningly unhealthy.

"Yeah. Hello." Natsuki forced herself to respond.

"So what are you doing?" The larger boy asked her.

"Well…James and I were going to sit down and read some manga together…" Natsuki told him reluctantly.

"Oh! Manga! Can I read too!?" Yuto begged her.

"Um...Sure." Natsuki reluctantly agreed. She handed her book over to James before going to her favorite spot under the window. James sighed, following her with resigned familiarity, expecting for Yuto to sit next to him, seeing as he was holding the book.

Instead, Yuto squatted and rolled himself beside Natsuki. She stiffened concerningly, scooting closer to James somehow, leaning dangerously far into his personal space. However, whereas the week prior she had been getting closer for her own misplaced comfort, this time it felt more like she was trying to hide underneath him. He allowed it as such.

Several minutes into the reading and James was already annoyed. Yuto smelled. Maybe it wouldn't have been nearly as bad for someone else, even for someone as close as Natsuki, but James's nose was far more sensitive. He could smell the dirt in the places Yuto missed, smell the sweat sliding down his balls, hell, he could tell what he had eaten for breakfast based on the smell of his breath.

It wasn't just his smell either. His breathing was somewhat labored, and loud. James could hear every breath, hear his small heart pounding against the weight around it.

James glanced over and frowned. He wasn't doing a very good job reading either, not unless Natsuki had been writing all over her legs when he wasn't looking. If not, then James suspected Yuto wasn't exactly here for the manga.

Natsuki wasn't exactly helping either. She had invaded his space so far as to nearly be in his lap. One hand was bracing itself against James, keeping her from falling over him, the other held onto the far side of her skirt, keeping it pulled taunt to cover herself as well as she could.

James looked up to observe his other club mates. Monika was being polite with Sota, however, it looked automatic, practiced. There was none of Monika's usual energy or flirtatious intent, instead being forcibly polite. Sayori wasn't doing much better, as Riku was hovering over her, cowering her to be polite, but quiet and anxious. Lastly, Yuri was blissfully alone, entranced in her book.

Mercifully, Monika announced an early end to this section of the club, though no one who was a previous member seemed to mind much. They moved to share their poems with each other while the three new boys watched.

Each of the girls shared a poem consistent to what he would have guessed. The only real concern was Natsuki, who shared a lighthearted poem which talked about a sweet friend. He could guess who that meant.

However, Monika announced that the club was over for the day. Sending the members and new members home, much earlier than usual. Yuri left quietly and Natsuki left very quickly. Sayori on the other hand almost assaulted him with how quickly she grabbed him.

"Hey James! Ready to walk me home again?" It wasn't a question. Not if the force of her grip was anything to go by, or the flat seriousness in her voice. James noticed Riku watching solemnly and critically from a distance.

"Certainly." He answered flatly.

* * *

Sayori hadn't let go of him for at least several blocks. Her behavior was new, concerningly so. It wasn't like the week prior, where she held a dishonest smile hiding a rapidly deteriorating mental state. This time she was happy, incredibly happy it seemed to be going home, it was just buried under a large amount of…stress.

"Sayori…are you going to keep holding on?"

"S-Sorry! I just…" Sayori paused for a moment, withdrawing herself. "I just feel safer…with you is all."

"What do you mean?" James asked her seriously.

"Well…maybe I…didn't want to be in the club today is all." She tried to explain.

James watched her, gauging her emotional state carefully. "I thought you liked the club a lot?"

"Oh no, I do I do!" Sayori defended. "But it, ah, wasn't the same today."

"Was it because of the new members?"

"N-…Well…" Sayori interrupted herself and paused. "Maybe it wasn't what I expected. I like to go to the club to have fun, but new people can be…different."

"Hmm."

"Look, it's in the past, and now we're going home. Speaking of which, do you think you can come hang out again?" Sayori asked him hopefully.

"…" James paused, looking her in the eyes. She was worried and hiding something, again. She wasn't like this before though, so James knew she wasn't a danger to herself at least.

"Sure. I can spend a few hours with you."

Sayori brightened up, fully happy again. James appreciated that, more than either of them knew.

* * *

Before School/Next day

James expected many things, yet this certainly wasn't one of them. After separating from Sayori, he had been ambushed, by Natsuki of all people.

"H-Hey um…James?" Natsuki nervously asked him.

"Yeah…?" He asked with mild confusion.

"Can you…um…" Natsuki looked down embarrassingly.

"…"

"Can you…" She then whispered painfully. "…pretend to be my boyfriend?"

"…What?" James blinked in surprise.

 _…What_? Strayed questioned as well.

"J-Just for the club I mean." Natsuki explained. "You don't have to do it anywhere else… _unless you want to_." She whispered the last part as if he wasn't going to hear it, which if he was human, he wouldn't have.

"…" James narrowed his eyes at her. "Is this about the new members?"

"N-" Natsuki nearly denied it, which would have been a lie. "Y-Yeah. I…didn't feel nearly as safe when it was just you. I don't…" She paused, thinking her words carefully. "I don't like Yuto."

"…" James gave a long sigh, rubbing his eyes tiredly. "Fine. Just...let the girls know."

"Mmm." Natsuki blushed fiercely. "That's okay. I don't mind if they know it's just pretend, but you'll do that for me?"

"…Yeah." James and Strayed had argued about it briefly. Since the context of this 'relationship' would be limited and temporary, he would allow it. "Just remember that this is a temporary fix. It's over at the earliest convenience."

"…" Natsuki blushed, avoiding his gaze. "Yeah. Alright."

* * *

Club/ Eight hours later

James had immediate regrets about the agreement he had made. Natsuki had arranged everything and had somehow even gotten the other girls to, reluctantly, agree to the ruse.

Entering the club room together, they found the members in much the same way as the day before. Monika was near the front, reluctantly conversing with Sota. Sayori not far from her, with Riku hovering near her oppressively. Yuri was alone and Yuto was waiting patiently under the window.

Upon seeing Natsuki enter, Yuto got up and scurried over as quickly as his short little legs would take him without running. Natsuki nervously grabbed James's hand with both of hers.

"James…" Natsuki whispered desperately. "…Do something!"

James rolled his eyes, really hating this contract he had agreed to. Quickly and emotionlessly, he leaned down and placed a kiss on the top of Natsuki's head.

Just because he felt nothing for the girl, didn't mean he was incapable of pretending to feel something.

Still his action seemed to bring Natsuki to a flustered stop. Each of the girls looked over, jealously, even…dammit, even Sayori, unconsciously, jealous as well.

Yuto as well slowed, stopping in front of him. An arm he had been hiding behind himself dropped to reveal a very large heart shaped box, filled with chocolates.

"Wait…are you two…together…?" Yuto asked them, slowly and disappointedly.

"Yes." James responded automatically. Natsuki wasn't in a position to do much answering as she hid her face in his side.

"H-" Yuto began a question.

"It does not concern you." James rudely interrupted him, dragging Natsuki along to her preferred position in the classroom. The sooner he finished this ruse the better.

Sitting down, he noticed Yuto, still standing where he had been rejected, stuck in a dejected posture. He looked up eventually through, scanning across the classroom before his eyes landed on Yuri. With nervous apprehension, he approached the tallest girl in the room, carefully gaining her attention and awkwardly offering her the chocolates he had. Reluctantly, Yuri accepted, though it looked as though she didn't have much choice in the matter.

"Y-" Natsuki muttered. "You…kissed me…"

"Yeah, on the head, don't expect much more." James whispered back at her. "You wanted this ruse to work, and so far it has, so just be happy someone you barely just met isn't looking up your skirt anymore."

"…" Natsuki didn't respond, just continued blushing at what had happened, and grimaced at why she had needed to ask for help in the first place.

They restarted reading from the previous day, seeing as they had been distracted at the time. James didn't appreciate the close distance Natsuki was keeping at the moment, yet allowed it to continue their ruse.

He glanced around, assessing the situation. While Natsuki was considerably more relaxed, the other three girls were considerably more stressed. Monika would occasionally be surprised and distressed by unexpected questions about very private information from Sota. Sayori would continue to keep polite conversation with Riku, but would pause and become flustered when he would write her a note. Yuri's patience kept being tried as Yuto continually forced conversation out of her. It seemed even earlier this time, that the club turned to poem sharing even sooner.

All of the boys refused to share their poems with James, instead focusing on a single girl to share with. The reactions of everyone, sans Natsuki, was less than thrilling, seeing as she didn't get a poem due to her status as "taken"; the others less fortunate of such a claim, however, looked worried, and a little sick. In turn their poems were less focused, shorter, more of a result of obligation than interest.

Just as quickly as the previous day, the club ended. Monika and Yuri split off quickly, while Sayori jumped at the chance to walk beside James, even if Natsuki was on the other side. Reluctantly, James led his escorts to the exit.

"Hey, Natsuki?" Sayori asked.

"Yeah?"

"Do you feel like…the clubs changed a little too quickly?"

"…" Natsuki looked away. "Things have gotten…really tense."

"Yeah." Sayori agreed. "I understand by the way, why you asked." She cocked her head in James's direction.

"Ah-ha." Natsuki giggled nervously. "It's just pretend though, I needed a little…help."

"Hey, it's alright." Sayori squeezed her hand. "I think it's really sweet."

"Mmm." Natsuki blushed. "I'm going to go home now." She then ran off, in the opposite direction.

"Ahhh." Sayori sighed, speaking to James now. "I'm really glad to be going home today."

"Mmm." James grunted back in response.

"So." Sayori sweetly sung. "How was it?" She smiled widely, mockingly.

"How was what?"

"Why, that little peck you gave Natsuki earlier, dummy!" Sayori cried sweetly.

"It was necessary to fulfill the ruse. I didn't think anything of it."

"Sure you didn't." Sayori swayed back and forth, enjoying herself. "She's a pretty cute girl, don't you think?"

"I wouldn't know."

"Ah come on! You don't have to play the 'quiet and hard to get' type right now. Tell me what you feel about her!" Sayori demanded him eagerly.

"…" James dismissed her comments but otherwise answered. "She's an interesting friend and club member. But like I told you before, I can only see her as a friend, nothing more."

"Hmm, you told me what before?" Sayori put a finger to her chin, lost in her thoughts to try and remember.

"…!" _Shit_. That was one of her repressed memories, he'd forgotten about that. "Well, what I mean is, I'm still trying to know her better."

"Ah, okay." Sayori accepted the answer. "Hey, can I get your help with some homework?" She asked innocently.

"Certainly, but I'm not doing it for you again."

"Ahehehe" Sayori giggled awkwardly, following James eagerly.

* * *

Club/Next day

The mood in the club had shifted drastically, such that Natsuki, seated a distance away and with the boy she liked, couldn't enjoy her reading as she watched her friends suffer. All the other girls looked isolated, uncomfortable.

Suddenly there was a commotion. Yuri and Yuto had their backs to them, so they couldn't see what started it, but Yuri stood up violently, quickly gathered her belongings, and left the club in a brisk run. Her hand was clamped over her mouth, a look of disgust and embarrassment on her face. She wouldn't be seen again till the following day.

Yuto sat there, a stupid look on his face, his hands slick with chocolate. He slowly got up and made to follow, but based on how he looked back and forth down the hallway, he had no idea where she went. He waddled off, seeming to go home.

There was another odd moment. While Sayori and Riku were talking, he suddenly decided to give her a gift. It was a stuffed bear, similar to the one James had won for Natsuki days before, but looking to be a better made brand. Sayori reluctantly accepted it, avoiding conversing with Riku after that point. Then, without warning, Sayori got up and came to sit next to Natsuki.

"Heya~" Sayori sung in greeting. "I hope you don't mind me barging in here with you two love birds."

"Eh-a, Sayori?" Natsuki stuttered for a moment. "What are you doing here?"

"Oh you know, I just realized that you and I never seem to talk, so I was hoping to spend some time to do so… _please_." She suddenly pleaded earnestly, grabbing Natsuki's arm tightly. Natsuki winced for a moment but looked up to see Sayori's pleading and despondent eyes. She put her hand over Sayori's, welcoming her to join them with a nod. They didn't really talk much, but Sayori seemed much more at ease than she had all week.

While the three of them quietly read together, James glanced over at Monika, who looked exhausted. At some point she had dismissed Sota and he had gone to chat up a conversation with Riku. Still, even relieved of the insensitive company, Monika looked disappointed with how the week had gone. It was no surprise then when she dismissed the club early yet again, skipping the poem sharing entirely.

While on the way out, Sayori forced James to pause, dragging Natsuki along alone.

"Hang on, we need to have a girl talk." Sayori assured him, walking out of his hearing range. However, Natsuki had turned around, so he was able to lip-read her.

"So, what did you want to talk to me for?" Natsuki questioned.

"[?]"

"Ah, yeah. I was curious about that. What did you see?"

"[?]" Sayori appeared to hesitate.

"That's…a little strange, but what about today?" Natsuki grimaced at whatever she was learning.

"[?]" Sayori again hesitated, hugging herself in discomfort.

"Uh! That's! Sick! Oh poor Yuri. I can't believe Yuto would [?]" Whatever Natsuki had said was cut off to James by her placing a hand over her mouth. Her eyes had grown wide and her knees bent weakly at whatever Sayori had said.

"[?]" Sayori responded in agreement.

"I thought it was bad for me when he was eyeing me up…but…I can't even imagine." Natsuki looked away from her.

"[?]"

"What? What else? What did Riku say to you?" Natsuki inquired uncomfortably.

"[?]" Sayori's head dropped in embarrassment.

"Sayori! That's [?]" Natsuki's face was cut from view again when she reached out to grab Sayori's arms in a comforting gesture, pulling her closer. James adjusted his angle in the hallway to view Natsuki again.

"…need to tell Monika about this! The club is our happy place! I don't care if we need the membership, I don't want a bunch of boys playing pickup on us!" James caught part of what Natsuki had been saying.

"[?]"

"Yeah well, James is…" Natsuki leaned over and Sayori turned around, both girls watching James critically, causing him to shrug defensively. "…dense, but polite." Sayori giggled in agreement, and Natsuki failed to contain her own laughter.

"[?]" Sayori said something after turning around again.

"Alright. I'll trust you on this." Natsuki responded. Sayori pulled her close for a hug, which Natsuki accepted without resistance.

James looked down, pondering their conversation. Certainly his club members had been uncomfortable the last few days, but did that mean he needed to intervene? He'd wait for approval before taking any action.

Just then, Sayori had returned to him, followed closely by Natsuki. She then forced a hug upon him and, as if that wasn't enough, she seemingly invited Natsuki to join in on the hug, which she did gleefully.

"Thanks James, for being exactly who you are." Sayori smiled up at him earnestly.

James sighed. One hug was an invasion of privacy. Two was a coordinated assault.

"I never asked for this." He lightly growled, eliciting a pair of giggles below him. Natsuki separated herself, returning home shortly thereafter. Sayori dragged James along to their homes, much more relaxed than she had previously been.

She was certain the following day would go well.

* * *

Club/ Next Day

One of the greatest differences noticed at the start of the club was that none of the girls allowed themselves to be alone with any of the new members.

Yuri, entirely ignoring Yuto, had quickly forced herself to occupy all of Monika's attention, much to her relief. Their conversation was clearly forced and awkward, seeing as they had drastically opposed personalities, however, they both flatly refused to share their company with any of the newer club members.

Sayori as well had instantly glued herself to Natsuki's side just as she was glued to James's side, with him only barely participating in their conversation. More so, he felt that he was being used as a deterrent, but accepted the role gracefully.

That just left the three new boys in their own group, Yuto, Sota, and Riku. They had all resigned themselves to their own corner, observing the other two groups enviously and hungrily.

Eventually, but not nearly as quickly as had been the norm that week, Monika made a new announcement.

"Okay everyone! I'd like to talk to the girls only now! So boys, go on, we'll see you next week!" Monika dismissed them. James immediately gathered his things and went to stand in the hall, as he was obligated at the moment to see Sayori home safely. The other boys left the club room reluctantly, but also chose to linger for unknown reasons.

"So, James was it? You and Natsuki huh?" Riku smiled deceitfully. "What's she like?"

"Yes." James answered purposely vaguely, maintaining a neutral stance and face. He watched Riku grow confused and Yuto grow jealous.

"Nah man, I mean like? Have you guys done it yet? Is she good in that regard?" Riku insisted to ask.

"I'm not answering that."

"Heh, alright, alright." He relented on that line of questioning. "I couldn't help but notice that you and Sayori are real close like."

"Sayori is my neighbor." James answered indifferently.

"Ah, so you're just looking out for your little friend? Still, she seems pretty well attached to you. Kinda interesting, don't you think?" Riku accused quietly.

"…" James looked down, eyes narrowed in thought. "She is…the closest friend I have." A true statement, though admitting it was forced.

"Huh." Riku relented with a sigh, allowing someone else to inquire.

"Hey man, I got to ask. Is what they say about Monika true?" Sota asked him curiously.

"I wouldn't know."

"Hmm? You mean you haven't heard the rumors? That she-" Sota was cut off then.

"I wouldn't. Know." James asserted sternly, forcing an end to that inquiry. However, others still had questions.

"Hey, um, do you know what kind of things Yuri likes?" Yuto asked him. James suppressed the urge to cringe at the smell of the boy.

"Books."

"Ah…mmm…anything else?" Yuto asked again.

"Atmosphere."

"Eh? Hmm." That one puzzled him well enough that James managed to step away, only to face Riku again, having lost sight of him for a moment.

"Hey, so it sounds like the girls are planning a sleepover at Sayori's place. You want to, heh heh, _join_ in on that?" Riku asked him.

"No, I'd rather not." In hindsight, James wasn't really paying attention.

"Hmm, yeah I'll go." Sota commented.

"Yeah, me too." Yuto agreed.

With that, the three human boys left the hallway, while James leaned back against a wall. Relaxed, yet alert, allowing his mind to process information normally unknown to other humans. Cruelly, his lips parted, baring teeth in a smile, the taste of violence burning his tongue, fingers curling in anticipation.

Soon.

He forced himself to relax when the door to the club room opened, expelling the female members. Each of them seeming eager and content.

"Hey James." Monika approached him. "So, I should tell you now, you've been a great member so far. And we really, all, appreciate that." She smiled sadly, gesturing around her. "But unfortunately, it seems other _boys_ aren't nearly as interested in literature as they are in…other…'pursuits'. So…I'm going to have to tell them to either quit it or get out. Can I…well…get your support in this?" She pleaded earnestly.

"…" James sighed in uncertainty. He did not feel like he wanted to speak to Monika yet. She hurt Sayori, yet now, she was taking action that would protect Sayori, and the rest of the club as well, asking for his assistance to assure it would succeed. Contradiction, too much like himself.

His pause brought actual worry to them. However, he calmly walked toward Sayori, and said to her, "I'm obligated to support this club. Without question." While his words comforted them all, it did cause Monika to stop and think. James had not spoken to her in a while, refusing to address her when she spoke directly to him. Did he know about…the mistake she had made? What she had said stupidly in a bout of jealous passion? But if that was so, why was Sayori alright? Sayori had said nothing about it and acted like it never happened. Monika was disturbed, and only just managed to hide as such.

However, with James's allegiance guaranteed, they had split off into their separate ways, onward to home with plans for the evening later. Once it was just Sayori and James, just barely off school grounds, did she speak openly.

"Ahh! I feel a lot better!" Sayori sighed loudly. "We all talked to Monika about what's been going on, and that's why she asked you for your support. So hopefully things work out." She shrugged.

"Mmm." James grunted in response.

"Hey, so, we'll be having a sleepover at my place. If you wanted, you could come and have dinner with us?" Sayori asked sweetly, her head turned over her shoulder.

"No thank you. I have work to attend to." James dismissed immediately.

"Ah. Alright." Sayori accepted the response. However, she jumped nervously, holding onto James when an unexpected face appeared from an alley.

"R-Riku!" She shouted in surprise. "What are you doing here?"

"Ah hello Sayori, fancy seeing you here." Riku casually greeted. "I haven't had the chance to talk to you for awhile. Do you have a minute?"

"I-just want to go home right now, please, save it for next week." Sayori pleaded tiredly, desperately. She kept James's arm between them, while James watched quietly, accusingly.

"Alright, alright." Riku seemed to accept. "But why don't you take this poem. I wrote it just for you." He held a folded paper out, smiling darkly.

"…" Reluctantly, Sayori took the paper, sighing.

"I hope you enjoy!" Riku announced, turning down the alley and out of sight.

Once he was out of sight, Sayori let go of James, unfolding the poem with both hands. Her lack of enthusiasm turned to disgust and rage. The paper crumpled in her hand. Teeth bared openly, head bowed, knees bent inward; her expression was such that James had never seen on her.

"Sayori?" He calmly turned to occupy her vision.

"Ksk!" Sayori hissed, eyes wide and locked on his. She was still baring her teeth, clenched angrily. Her arms held out, hands in fists. "What! Why are you here!? Am I just an ass to fuck for you too!?" She shouted accusingly.

"…" Sayori didn't cuss, had never looked at him so hatefully, or had ever taken a stance to attack as she was now. Was this because of what he'd done to her? What changes he had put her through? Not to mention, what she was suggesting was not a thought he wanted to entertain.

His pause seemed to be an answer to Sayori. Her eyes lost all pretense of kindness or humanity. She moved with familiar precision, raising both her fists to strike. It was not her attack that was surprising to James though, it was its precision, with strikes aimed for pressure points, designed to disable and kill, just as he was trained.

He allowed her blows to land, resetting his own nervous system as necessary to avoid becoming disabled. As she closed the distance, he quickly reached out and placed his hands on her shoulders, locking her in place. She rained a few more blows into his midsection and chest for a few seconds before slowing, losing power, becoming little more that forceless motions. Finally, she grabbed hold of his blazer, shivering fiercely, her eyes watering before she hid them with a shameful bow.

"James! I-!" Sayori choked out between sobs. "I don't know what came over me!" She cried out. "I'm sorry! Sorry! Sorry-!"

"…" James sighed regretfully. Her lapse of violence was without a doubt a response formed from the changes to her mind. It was completely unlike her. It was more like…

" _What fine sheep you are! Coming straight to the wolf's den for slaughter! Hahaha! You're not getting out of here alive_."

 _No!_ Not like her, the Spider Bitch of Algebra. He could not allow Sayori to turn out like her. He pulled her closer, to assure both her, and himself.

"It's fine." He confidently spoke down, holding her head against his chest. "It's fine."

Sayori trembled in his arms, looking up uncertainly.

"You are my friend. I trust you implicitly. I'm here."

"Mmm." Sayori hummed sadly. She reached up and hugged back tightly. Holding on as dearly as she could. When she'd had enough, she let go, signaling James to do the same.

"If you like, I could come over to help you clean up." James offered. If he did that, Sayori would have a chance to persuade him to stay longer. He might, just for her sake.

"No. I'm fine, thank you." She turned to walk away. "I just need…a little alone time. I'll see you next week." With that she resumed walking home.

James sighed slowly. The programs left in her head should keep her from hurting herself, and allow her to defend herself. However, if that moment was any indication, she might instead hurt others unprovoked. It was a serious oversight, but forcing her mind to change again to correct it could damage it even more.

Looking down, James saw that she had dropped the crumbled poem at his feet. He reached down, pocketing it. As he did so, his vision was partially obscured. He rubbed his eye to find it had been oversaturated with fluid, the runoff going down his cheek.

 _How odd_.

* * *

That Evening

It was only the first segment of a project, but James was satisfied with his work. A chemical battery that would burn through all of it's potential energy in a matter of seconds. Sure, it would melt seconds later, but it was exactly what he needed, side effects aside. The best possible outcome considering the materials he had to work with.

He turned to look out the window. The sky still a dark purple from the recently set sun. An airplane passing in the distance. Yuto fumbling around in his untrimmed hedges like a tumbling barrel of lard…

 _…The fuck_? James cocked his head curiously. He walked over to the window to watch as the heavier boy nervously crouched, slowly and embarrassingly crawling across his yard in the direction of Sayori's house, a camera dangling around his neck. Even through the window he could hear his wheezing gasp of exertion.

"Hmm…" James hummed out loud. He left the room and moved to a window that overlooked Sayori's house. He could see the light from her living room, hear the sound of four female voices. And a Sota shaped mass moving around in the bushes near the window.

"…" James sighed quietly, a thought coming to mind; that crumpled poem he'd picked up earlier. He was so caught up in his work, he'd nearly forgotten about it. He retrieved it from the pants he'd changed out of, opening it and glancing at a few lines that stood out to him.

_…holding you tightly, so you'll never escape…_

_…tearing at your clothes, tossing them away…_

_…smothering myself into your soft skin…_

_…feeling your legs wrap welcomingly around me…_

_…pushing and pulling, an intimate struggle…_

_…filling to our hearts content…_

James's eyebrow rose sharply. His expression stuck in an exceptional frown. Calmly, he set the poem down. He then went to retrieve his knives; the long, black knives specially made in his century to cut armor as easily as paper.

He had work to do, and he set to it without hesitation.

* * *

They giggled, they laughed, oblivious to anything else.

"You know Natsuki, if things work out you won't be able to cling to James like you have have been doing." Monika kindly mocked.

"Uuu, don't remind me!" Natsuki blushed.

"You know, if you like doing it so much, you should just ask him out!" Sayori eagerly suggested.

"Tsk! That's…!" Natsuki was at a loss, too embarrassed to answer.

"Hey now! I wouldn't mind getting a chance to hang off his arm." Monika announced confidently.

"I-I as well, would like to…know him better." Yuri blushed, hiding her face.

"Ahh. I just can't wait for things to work out Monday." Sayori changed the subject.

"Ugh, I know right? Though from what I heard, you girls had it so much worse than I did." Monika responded.

"D-Don't remind me." Yuri looked down.

"Don't worry girls, I'll take care of everything, got it!" Monika assured them. They resumed eating, while watching a cheesy movie.

Then they all got a text, send as a group message to all of them.

James: "Hold up. There's some fuckery going on. I'll be over in a moment."

"What...does that mean?" Natsuki asked concerningly.

"I…I don't know." Sayori commented.

"He's coming over?" Yuri questioned.

"…" Monika tensed, uncertain.

They all then turned at a high-pitched yelp that emanated from outside. A few seconds later, a person shaped mass flew over the fence, landing in Sayori's yard. They looked back at each other concerningly. Stepping outside one by one, they happened upon…

"Y-Yuto!" Yuri fearfully gasped. She and the other girls found him there, hands and legs hogtied by a rope, struggling against his restraints.

James then stepped out from around the fence, his face devoid of emotion, eyes locked on a point behind them. He was dressed in a worn black trench coat and dark, heavy clothing.

"James! What's going on!?" Sayori questioned. He ignored her, walking quickly toward the window that looked into the living room. He reached down near the bushes, pulling and dragging…

"Sota!" Monika gasped, watching as James cruelly dragged the boy by the foot. Even struggling and kicking, he could not break free. He then set Sota by Yuto, taking a length of rope from the large boy and using it to secure the other. Having a moment to observe them, both of them had cameras, and were refusing to look at the girls.

"T-They were…" Natsuki nervously muttered, holding the hem of her skirt nervously. Yuri was hiding her own face, and Sayori was quiet, trying to remember where she'd seen that rope…

"James…how did you know they were…?" Monika questioned. James ignored her, but for a different reason than before.

Using all his senses, he scanned around Sayori's yard, looking for anything that shouldn't be there, but not finding it.

"Where could…?" James muttered, eyes narrowed. His eyes shifted to the house, hand scratching at his chin. Slowly striding, James stepped up to Sayori's door, opening it and entering.

"James? What are you…?" Sayori began to question, watching as he sniffed loudly, head scanning around her living room. Then his head snapped back to a direction.

There.

Quickly and purposely, James stalked his way up the stairs, Sayori following worryingly. He opened the door to her room, stepping in and pausing for a moment as he took another noisy whiff.

"James…there's nothing here…" Sayori stated. However, James stepped confidently over to her bed. He reached underneath, pulling out…

"Hey! Let go of me you fucker!" Riku shouted. A digital camera in one hand, that hand being held by James. He threw a punch, only for it to be intercepted by James, who forced both hands behind the boy, walking him downstairs and outside. On the way, Riku shot Sayori a cocky grin.

Sayori stood aghast in horror and shock. Still, curiosity got the better of her, as well as a rising and foreign sense of rage.

Outside, James forced Riku down, taking his camera and tying him back to back with the other two boys. He then made sure that each boy could watch as he crushed their cameras, their plastic shells snapping between his fingers.

Slowly, he circled the boys, eyeing them accusingly as the girls watched equally terrified and offended. He then stopped, eyes locked with Riku, who looked up with a smile that bled confidence. James lacked an emotion to express.

" _Traitors to their obligations…_ " James stated loudly, such that all could hear him. "… _Deserve no mercy_." He then drew a knife, marching menacing at Riku.

"Whoa whoa man! Put that away!" The boy cried out. Yuto commenced loudly and nervously squealing. "What the hell? Oh my god!" Sota cried as he craned his neck to see.

Before James could skewer his prey, Monika intercepted him, grabbing his arm and placing a hand on his chest.

"James! Please! Stop! It's not worth it." Monika pleaded at him. "I understand, trust me, I do. But don't physically hurt them."

"…" James looked down at her and growled. However, he listened, placing his knife back in it's sheath, and storing it away.

Sayori however, lost her composure. The tedious and ongoing harassment mixed with emotions not her own, such that she pounced with hateful abandonment, landing blow after blow on Riku's face.

"Ack! Fuckin! Crazy! Bitch!" Riku cried out between blows. It was nearly drowned out however by the inhuman wail of rage emanating from Sayori. Those still human, stood terrified as the 'kindest' among them abandoned her humanity, lusting for blood, relentless and primal. Those no longer human, being James, watched curiously and patiently. Without his training, without Strayed, he'd be just like that, lost in his rage and vengeance. With nothing more than a sigh of understanding, he grabbed Sayori from behind, pulling her off Riku while his face was still attached, and locking her back against his chest. She struggled, reaching still to strike her tormenter.

"Sayori." James calmly spoke into her ear. Despite her violent squirming and elbowing of his ribs, he held on tightly. "Calm down. Calm down."

It took her a moment, but quickly, Sayori relaxed, collapsing in a crying mess. He picked her up, taking her several feet away and over to Natsuki, who was still watching with a terrified expression. James set Sayori back on her feet, then forced Natsuki to bare her weight, seeing as Sayori wasn't in the mental state at the moment to stand on her own. Natsuki reluctantly but firmly held her friend. A look of appreciation from James only solidified her resolve to be there. All the while, Sayori hid behind her hands, quiet sobbing auditable through them.

James turned back around, slowly approaching Monika. She was terribly frightened, by Sayori's outburst, by the situation she was in. However, she was still the club president, and he would defer to her for orders. Standing before her, she couldn't help but look up at him apprehensively.

"…" James cocked his head at the three boys, eyes going back and forth between them and Monika. A question.

"L-Let them go, in a moment." Monika nervously ordered, before stepping towards them, taking a deep breath. "I…don't want to see any of you three near my club! Ever again!" Monika shouted down. Shortly thereafter, James untied the rope holding them together. Sota and Yuto ran off in separate directions, while Riku ran to a car parked just down the street.

Driving by, he stuck his bruised face out the window, blood running from his nose. "This isn't finished Monika! I'm gonna tell the whole school you're a fuckin' whore! And I'm going to burn that crazy bitch too! Just you wait till Monday!" He shouted before quickly driving off.

Once out of sight, Monika held herself, shivering nervously. She turned, eying Sayori regretfully. Slowly she walked towards her, sitting opposite Natsuki, trying to comfort Sayori as she continued to cry.

Yuri had disappeared not long before into Sayori's house, finding a spot she where could be alone for several minutes. James followed patiently as Monika and Natsuki comforted and cleaned up Sayori. Once they had her nearly ready for bed, James went to her room.

Distraughtly, tiredly, she shivered on her bed, Natsuki sitting up with her and Monika by the side. Sayori turned at his arrival, seeming to invite him closer.

"James." She called quietly. "Thanks for being here. I d-don't know what would have happened if…"

"Shh!" James quickly interrupted. "You're safe now. Just…go to sleep now. Everything will be better tomorrow. I promise you that." He patted her head lightly, coercing her to lay down.

"Mmm." Sayori hummed lightly, Natsuki running fingers through her hair. Monika whispered something of comfort to her as James backed up and watched.

 _Check something. I insist_. Strayed recommended. At the order, James took out his phone, setting it to a frequency tracker, and ran a quick scan. Most of the signals in the room could be accounted for. One could not. Slowly, as not to alert Sayori, James went over to one of her shelves that contained a very new stuffed bear, acquiring it. He turned back, lightly grabbing Monika by the shoulder, signaling for her to follow.

"James?" Sayori called out. "Will you spend the night? I'm…a little scared."

"…" James sighed quietly. "I'll be in the house. Get some rest. Natsuki will stay by your side."

Natsuki looked up in surprise, but the look from James seemed to convince her that it would be a good idea, so she laid down as well.

"Good night James."

"…Goodnight." After a moment, James walked down to the kitchen, with Monika close behind. Yuri was sleeping in the living room, oblivious. Once there, James turned around, showing the stuffed bear he had taken, the one Sayori had received very recently. Wordlessly, he dug his fingers into it's back, tearing it open. Between the stuffing, and leading to an eye, was a suspicious looking wire.

"…" James sighed angrily while Monika gasped, shocked at the further development.

"Don't." James spoke up, the first words directed at Monika in a week. "Tell Sayori. She doesn't need to know." He then turned to leave.

"W-Where are you going?" Monika questioned. James turned, a serene and unnatural calmness on his face. "Y-You're going to hurt him, aren't you?"

"…" His eyes narrowed, a promise.

"I...I know that seems like a good idea, I want to hurt him too. But…violence…isn't the answer." Monika pleaded. "Just...Let me take care of it-"

"Like you took care of Sayori?" James snapped; teeth bared dangerously. Monika flinched, knowing what he was referring to. "The time for words and kind gestures has passed. Sometimes, violence is the _only_ answer."

"…" Monika breathed heavily, fearfully.

"Don't worry. I won't kill him. But I promised Sayori everything would be fine tomorrow. I intend to keep my word." With that, James stepped out into the night. Monika took a seat, clutching her head, quiet sobbing spilling in her loneliness.

* * *

One Hour later

Riku couldn't believe his bad luck. Not only had he missed his chance for a good night, but his secret camera had been discovered and destroyed. That damn, stupid foreigner.

And that stupid bitch Sayori. She didn't know how lucky she was that he had taken an interest in her. He was going to take care of her, make her feel really good. Instead, she went crazy and messed up his face a little, so now he couldn't show it for the rest of the weekend.

Fortunately, his camera had captured enough exposed pictures to burn her reputation and let him take care of himself. He pulled up one of the pictures on his computer and set about to give himself a good time.

"…Ah…" Riku sighed, closing his eyes as he started to relieve himself.

"Are you going to be at that long?" A voice asked behind him.

Riku's eyes shot open, turning to see a familiar shadow of a man baring down on him darkly, orange eyes in the dark, narrowed with ill intent. He opened his mouth to scream, only for James to clamp his hands down on the sides of his face. Despite opening his mouth, no sound came out, his hands falling limply.

James breathed deeply, eyes glued hatefully on his prey. "Monika said I was not to hurt you. I'm obligated to keep that promise."

"…" Riku managed only a raspy breath in response.

"However…You. Hurt. My. Friend. I promised her everything will be alright."

"…" Riku's eyes widened, pleading desperately for a mercy that never existed.

"So, let's try a pathological lobotomy." James announced with a promise, and a smile. His grip growing tighter as Strayed started it's work.

With Sayori, it had been very careful to extract the parts of her personality that negatively affected her and made sure to stitch the damage back together as well as it could. It held no such reservations now as it plunged it's imaginary claws deep into Riku's personality, looking only for whatever he feared, to bring it out, and play it on a loop for eternity.

Riku squirmed and writhed under James, his eyes rolling white, his mouth wide in a silent existential scream as Strayed burned his nerves. Everything he knew and understood was reduced to two basic concepts, fear and pain. Even his sense of self was deprived as Strayed carelessly tore through his mind, even ripping apart the control for his bodily functions, such that Riku would live catatonically, forever in agony, forever petrified with indescribable terror.

James knew it was wrong, but he couldn't help but smile euphorically as the boy seized and foamed under his grip. The night was still young, and he had the time. For what this now convulsing panophobe, deprived even of the memory of his own name, had done to his friend.

He was enjoying this immensely.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Authors Note: Just a nice and pleasant little filler chapter between the larger plot. Please let me know what you think!


	10. Consequences

There were times when his work required him to be creative. Other times, fate just sort of…made things easier.

James dropped his load at the foot of the stairs. The human formerly known as Riku was silent, covered head to toe in sweat, not quite brain dead, but functionally useless. The bruising on his face would be a good cover for what had truly transpired. It would appear he simply slipped and fell down the stairs, landing on his face and falling into a coma, which he added to this by taking a cup of water and spilling it at the top of the stairs. He appreciated it when a plan came together like that.

Next, he made sure to wipe Sayori's images from the computer. That would not do. He left the images of the others Riku had wronged though, simply to incriminate his reputation, not that it mattered, since he would never wake up from the high activity coma.

With the sun just peaking over the horizon, he made for home. He had made a promise he intended to fulfill.

* * *

One hour later

Sayori woke with a mild start, dispelling the nightmare that had been the previous evening. Soft, comforting arms of a smaller friend wrapped around her side, she turned to see Natsuki behind her, resting quietly. On the floor near the bed, Monika slept, looking somewhat distressed. At some point in the night, Yuri had come in, and now occupied a space not far from Monika, sleeping with a book in her hand.

A familiar sweet smell, rising from below, woke her fully. Sayori sat up, stretching, waking Natsuki. Excitedly, she leapt from bed, waking the other two girls. Curiously, the three followed her and the smell.

Leaning around the corner of the stairwell, the four of them found James, baking something. Though his face was calm and patient, his hands worked fervently, without pause.

"James?" Monika moaned tiredly. "It's six in the morning. What are you baking?"

"Cupcakes." James replied without pause.

"…" Sayori smiled, while the other three frowned in confusion.

"Why…are you making cupcakes at six in the morning?" Monika asked with a tired tone.

"Because that's all I know how to make." James replied, exasperation and desperation in his response.

Sayori giggled with abandonment, rushing at James to force a hug onto him, which he was too busy to respond to. The other three watched dumbfoundedly for a moment. Yuri sighed, coming to sit at the counter with her nose in her book. Natsuki went over to James to critique his work. Monika sat beside Yuri, head in her hands, trying to catch a few more minutes of sleep.

. . .

"So you…" Natsuki questioned once they were all seated. "…copied my recipe?"

"It was the one you taught me. I followed it in verbatim." James responded casually.

"Huh." Natsuki shrugged acceptingly. "You did alright."

"Alright!" Sayori exclaimed. "These are really good James!"

"It's…a bit early for sweets." Yuri muttered. "But they are good."

"…" Monika sighed, absent mindedly shoving a cupcake into her mouth. They sat like that at the table for several minutes, before Monika spoke up again. "So, um. Are we gonna…talk about what happened last night?"

Her inquiry was met with uncomfortable silence. Though James was blissfully silent.

"No…just…no." Natsuki answered for everyone else.

"It's just that, should anyone say anything, people might look at us differently. At the club differently." Monika tried to explain.

Sayori had scooted closer to James, looking down. Yuri hid behind her book. James continued to eat without a care. Natsuki placed her palm against her face in annoyance.

"Ugh. Monika." Natsuki complained. "You really don't get it do you?"

"Get…what?" She asked in confusion.

"That your club ended up attracting the school's biggest introverts as it's only members besides you." Natsuki described, her tone tense, but not done in mocking. "I've threatened more than half of the students in every grade. I don't give a _fuck_ about my reputation." She proudly pointed to herself. "You also have the weirdly quiet bookworm."

"Yep." Yuri spoke up.

"The kind but shy and clumsy girl."

"Hehe. That's me!" Sayori quietly cheered.

"And the freakishly tall and scary looking foreigner…no offense."

"None taken." James smiled politely.

"You see? None of us care what anyone says about us. I never had a real friend until I joined this club. If it's just the five of us together, then I'm happy with that." Natsuki proudly presented her case.

Everyone else nodded in agreement while Monika tiredly watched. Reluctantly accepting that they might be right, she warily eyed James with cautious criticality. What had he gone and done the previous night? Would it be enough to keep them safe? More concerningly…

What if he had gone too far?

* * *

Before School / Monday

Wearing a façade of confidence, Monika strode up to school, expecting it was going to be a busy and stressful day. She had known Riku, they weren't close, but Monika knew he had a less than decent reputation and was well respected in the school. Any rumor he started about her and her club would stick for a while simply by virtue of his character. Fortunately, Monika did not get to be one of the most popular girls in the school through her social ignorance. She could make rumors and dispel them just as well.

Her first stop on a day of damage control was to find some of her older friends, the other popular girls. Though their popularity might be less to do with their good nature and more to do with the vacancy between their legs, their connections meant they would know about any damaging rumors in the school first and foremost.

Striding up the hallways, everything seemed…too well off. Everyone greeted her cheerfully and respectfully. Either there were no negative rumors about her…or something else. Quickly, Monika found two of her friends, Hina and Mei.

"Good morning ladies!" Monika greeted kindly.

"Oh! Hey Monika!" Mei responded.

"Hey? Did you hear the news from this weekend?" Hina spoke up, eager to spill juicy gossip.

"Hmm? What is it?" Monika inquired. _Here it comes_. She steeled herself for something truly slanderous.

"Riku ended up in the hospital. I heard he's in a deep coma, and that the doctors aren't expecting him to wake up." Hina let spill.

 _…What_? Monika cocked her head in confusion, taken aback by this development.

"I heard they found some pretty serious stuff on his computer. Pictures of his ex's exposed and shit! Going all the way back to intermediate school! Real sicko if you ask me." Mei added, mocking the absent and unconscious student.

"…" Monika's turned away for a moment, not expecting something like that. Then, a terrible thought came to mind. "Hey…um…did you hear how he fell into a coma?"

"Ah, well supposedly he fell down the stairs, concussing himself in the middle of the night, Friday night to be exact." Hina explained.

"I heard his parents are talking about pulling the plug on him already."

"Really? But it's only been one weekend?"

"I know right? But apparently, the few brain scans they did take show that the only thing still working are his pain receptors. So essentially, all he can feel is pain."

"No way, that's crazy!" Hina and Mei gossiped back and forth, completely forgetting about Monika for the moment, missing her bite her nails apprehensively. Just what the hell had James done to him?

* * *

After School / Club

While the club members where all much happier with each other, without interruption from unwanted attention, there was still a tension in the air, concerning Monika. She was unusually quiet and inexpressive. When the club ended at its normal time, she made one request.

"Hey, James? Can you stay behind for a moment? I need to speak with you." She requested calmly.

"Hmm. Sayori, I'll meet you outside. It will be fine." James nodded to Sayori encouragingly. She smiled in response, leaving the room.

"Have a seat." Monika motioned in front of her. In defiance, James stood several feet in front of her, arms crossed behind his back.

"I'll just cut to the chase. What the hell did you do to Riku?" Monika accused knowingly.

"Tsk." James turned away, disappointed. Of course, she was the only one who knew anything. What an oversight. "I did what had to be done."

"You…" She frowned disappointingly. "You put a kid in a coma. You know his parents are already talking about pulling the plug on him? What if he dies James? Could you really live with yourself if he dies?" She pleaded angrily.

"Oh?" James perked up at the news. It was far too soon to allow that. Still, he needed to answer his president. "There are killers, criminals, and terrorist who earned my respect. I don't have the slightest concept of sympathy for someone like _him_." James hissed.

"How can you be so cruel?" Monika questioned. "You'd condemn someone to death just for some stupid perving?"

"Like you're any different."

"Excuse me? I'm not the one who put someone in the hospital." Monika defended.

"But you told Sayori to kill herself." James answered back calmly.

"…!" Monika flinched in surprise. She suspected he might have found out, but to hear it was terrible. A truth she dare not confront. "W-When did you find out?"

The correct answer was ' _I read her memories and saw you do it._ ' But that would have been…hard to explain. Fortunately, James had a witty answer.

"I always suspected it, but just now, you admitted to it."

"But…telling someone…something…is different from doing it yourself." Monika tried to reason.

"Not when you have to confiscate their noose."

"Mmm!" Monika's hands clasped over her mouth in surprise. "James! You have to understand. I didn't mean it! I-It's just something girls sometimes say to each other-"

"First of all, don't lie to me." James took a step forward, advancing very slowly. In return, Monika started backing up, not nearly as quickly. "It's unbecoming of you. Secondly, yes you did, you meant every word of it. You thought she was too close to me, that you wouldn't get a chance to _persuade_ me." He was towering over her, instilling dread with his words and stalking gait.

"But-I wouldn't want her to actually hurt herself." Monika tired to explain. "I was jealous. I wanted to…wanted to…" She lost her voice though as James closed in on her. Nearly chest to chest.

"Even so, you convinced her to do it, she was ready." James then grabbed Monika by the collar, lifting her high above his head. "You accuse me of hurting someone who violated Sayori, when you yourself wanted her out of your way." James's calm voice contrasted his actions, and his furious eyes, burning. "Do you know what it was like? Hearing Sayori scream so terribly loudly, a sound she should never make? What I put her through so that she might live?"

"…" Monika grit her teeth in a fearful panic, unable to answer.

James dropped Monika onto the desk she had been held over, keeping his grip on her collar. His face closed in so he was eye to eye with her. Rage beyond compare promised from his eyes. "Killing you would be far too kind, I should make you understand Sayori's suicidal resolve for yourself, _put you through the agony of forcing her to live, and maybe, when your screams match hers, will you understand exactly how much pain she was in_." He then let her go, backing up and turning his back on her.

"I. Should. But I won't." James calmly stated, turning slightly. "Sayori's mental state is still very fragile right now, despite my best efforts. She'll need the support of all her friends, even _you_." James's eye looked back with dark distain. "Do not mistake this for mercy. Do not. Hurt her. Again. And do not question my business, not when I do it for her sake."

"…" Tears fell freely as Monika clutched her neck and chest. Sitting up on the desk, she warily eyed his still form. "W-Who…are…you?"

"Hmm." James hummed lightly. "I'm someone who gets things done."

"Even…if that means hurting people?" She asked reluctantly.

"Exclusively." He answered confidently.

"Ksk!" Monika gave a hiss of surprise and fear. "What…are you going to do to us? To me?"

"…" James sighed tiredly, bored. "Honor. Protect. Defend."

"…" His answer caught Monika off guard. "Why?"

"I once belonged to a group…but they are gone now." James answered vaguely. "As comrades, as allies, I'm obligated to protect the club. And yes, despite your actions, that includes you. So do everyone a favor, and don't hurt Sayori again." He then approached Monika, causing her to flinch defensively. Like a doll, he picked her up gently, from her armpits, and set her back on her feet. He then straightened out her uniform, calmly, and politely. "Otherwise, you are still my president. I'll honor your _reasonable_ orders."

"Mmm." Monika looked down and away. Unable to process the last few minutes, her mind split between wildly different fantasies. Some saw her at the end of a knife, with James wickedly carving her up in revenge. In another he would be rough with her, pushing her over while she resisted purposely pathetically, so that he might take her and make her his woman.

James frowned. He couldn't read her mind, but he could gauge her general thoughts and read her expression. Both were currently a mix of fear and lust.

"Goodbye Monika. I'll see you tomorrow." James left suddenly while shaking his head.

"Good…bye…" Monika called out uncertainly. She was terribly frightened but couldn't deny that she had been excited when James grabbed her. Still, James had hurt someone, and admitted that he did it often. She would have to be extremely careful not to earn his ire.

* * *

That Evening

Two men wheeled the hospital gurney through a quiet and blank building. The boy on the gurney was quiet, a breathing tube down his throat, the steady beating of a heart monitor by his side. He was wheeled into a designated room, had his life support hooked up for a long-term stay, then the two men left.

From the opposite end of the room, James strode calmly, his arms crossed behind his back. Those men where Yakuza, hired for a discrete transport job. And the boy, was Riku.

"Hey there, did you miss me?" James greeted kindly.

"…" Riku's eyes remained closed. No expression or movement emanated from his body. However, his heart rate began to climb.

"Don't worry about responding, I know you're busy in your head right now…screaming. But I know you can hear me." James smiled cruelly.

"…"

"Oh, you were wondering where your parents are?" James questioned knowingly. "Well, I heard they were going to help you clock out. That they where going to stop you from suffering. And, well, that just won't do."

"…" Riku's heart rate increased even further.

"Oh, don't worry, I didn't kill them. Tricked them, actually. Had one of my friends tell them they worked for a care center for waking up coma patients or some bullshit. Had them do all the paperwork. They didn't even check to see that the address we gave them was to some Korean Barbeque joint in Kyoto."

"…"

"Yeah. I'm getting to that, anyhow, I do a lot of business. I have a company that's expanding into every sector, energy, defense, robotics; but, one I forgot to make was…pharmaceuticals. So! Guess what! You get to be our first test subject!"

"…" His heart rate was twice the normal rate.

"So, while you're in there, getting sodomized by demons or whatever, we'll be out here, doing it for real. We are going to push the limits of what medicine can do. I've already got a list of things I want to do. Augmentation, regeneration, and hey! Life extension! I know you'll like that!"

"…" Riku's heart was fearfully beating at it's maximum.

"Don't worry. I'll make sure you stick around for a long time…" James called as he left the room. Securing Riku had been an entertaining side project. It allowed him to have a test subject and to keep him alive to continue his punishment.

It was, after all, unwise to cross a Lynx.

* * *

After School – Club / Thursday

Monika's nose was deep in a book when Sayori suddenly approached her without warning. She nervously jumped at the unexpected company.

"Hey Monika! I had an idea!" Sayori eagerly told her.

Looking at her in surprise, Monika considered her words carefully, not understanding how Sayori could be so kind and forgiving. Cautiously, she looked to James, who was busy helping the other girls with homework. His words of warning ringing loudly.

"Sure Sayori, what did you have in mind?" Monika responded after just a moment.

"How about tomorrow we all go hang out at the mall?" Sayori smiled, looking hopeful.

Monika looked towards James uncertainly. He was already watching, eyes looking up in return. A slight nod and a turn seemed to be a response.

"A-Alright Sayori. I think that's a wonderful idea." Monika answered back.

"Ah yay! I'll go tell the others!" Sayori ran off to her friends. Monika relaxed, not quite sure of her or James.

* * *

After School / Friday

Instead of the usual hanging about at the club room, the five members walked down to the local mall, much to James's dissatisfaction. At the school, people had at least gotten used to seeing him; not so when he would randomly appear in public. He ignored the accusing glances and whispered insults, all beneath his concern.

He watched with dismissive curiosity as the girls went back and forth between shops, looking at different items that caught their eyes. Things and comforts he'd never seen before or seen in a mountain of garbage back in his time, in his old hunting grounds…

Dispelling the thought, he soon realized they were heading to the food court, looking to get dinner. Sitting at the outer section of a booth, with Sayori and Natsuki beside him and Yuri and Monika across from him, they waited for their order to be taken. It seemed as though it was a shop for serving small, personal pizzas. Each of the girls ordered their food, then it was his turn.

"Yes, I'll have the meat special with five different kinds of meat." James asked neutrally in the regional tongue.

"I'm sorry, I don't speak English, would you like your friends to order for you?" The waitress asked politely.

"…" James stared at her blankly, eyes never leaving hers. "Excuse me. But what language do I need to speak to get service here?" He asked in Hindi.

"Um…"

"Do I need to keep switching to find out? Which one is good with you?" James raised his voice in Mandarin.

"James? Calm down." Monika tried to persuade him.

"Do I need to kick in your teeth to get it across you deaf fuck?" James threatened in Arabic. What stopped him was Sayori's hand tightly gripping his own, begging him to calm down. "Tsk." James hissed, turning away from everyone, becoming very interested in the wall. He lightly squeezed Sayori's hand back.

"He'll have the meat special. I'm sorry, he's really a very polite person." Sayori explained on his behalf. The waitress nodded and left with their orders.

"What was…that about?" Yuri asked reluctantly.

"Mmm…" James hummed quietly, looking up in annoyance, though, not annoyed by her. "Every time I order something from somewhere, they pretend they don't understand what I'm saying. It's extremely…tedious."

"That's weird. Why would they do that?" Natsuki asked ignorantly. The rest of the girls turned away, unwilling to answer.

"It's because I look different." James said neutrally, elbows on the table, hands resting crossed under his nose, staring at a point behind Yuri. "Since I'm clearly not a local, they assume I'm ignorant. Illiterate. Cognitively defective."

"Well! That's just stupid! Your Japanese is clear and precise!" Natsuki complimented fiercely.

"Hmm. Thanks." James gave her a calm smile.

"Hey. I noticed you spoke a few languages there for a moment, how many languages can you speak?" Monika asked him curiously.

"All of them." He answered back in Arabic, while holding up his hand to indicate 'five'. It wasn't a lie if they couldn't understand it.

"Ah that's so cool James! What's your first language though?" Sayori asked excitedly.

"My…" James's smile dropped. His sight fell to the table, searching in confusion. "…first language…?"

"Yeah you know. The first language you learned, your mother tongue?" Sayori inquired with a smile. However, she watched as James grew dark and thoughtful, eyes refusing to meet anyone. It made her worry. "James?"

"…" He gave up everything to become a Lynx, including memories of his early childhood. Even though he knew all twenty surviving languages thanks to memory microchips in his brain, he could not recall the 'first' one. The one his parents had spoken. He had no language to call his own.

What else had he forgotten? His parent's faces. Their names. Nationality. He had no land to call his home. His only memory of his parents was the paste and mist of Anatolia. Even his brother, dying in his arms…

No language. No homeland. No people. The last of his kind. Lost in time. His only connections were with those closest to him now. Four little girls, who couldn't even begin to believe what he was. Or accept what he'd done.

"That was…" James spoke up, to break the tension. "So long ago, so much has changed. I don't remember, I'm sorry." He answered for Sayori, calmly, yet somberly.

"Hey…it's alright." Sayori put her hand on his back.

"The food is coming, let's not dwell on unhappy memories yeah?" Monika politely suggested. Together, they enjoyed the company as well as they could. Making light conversation between the five of them. A pleasant and enjoyable meal.

. . .

His choice of seating was not random. James had insisted on taking a booth near the back of the shop, his seat facing outward toward the entrance, and with the girls out of his way, least he needed to intercept anything. That was of course assuming that gunmen would storm the pizza shop in the middle of a crowded mall in broad daylight and target four teenage girls, which was rather presumptuous of him to plan for. Alternatively, and perhaps more helpfully, it allowed him to observe the young twenty-or-something-year old man in punkish clothing who took an immediate interest once Monika had stepped out into the mall in search of a bathroom.

He followed at a distance, taking position around a corner from the bathrooms, yet well within earshot, waiting to make a move.

"Hey, excuse me." He heard the man speak up, bringing the sound of Monika's footfalls to a stop as she exited the bathroom. "I-uh, couldn't help but notice what a fine young lady you are."

"Mmm." Monika hummed in annoyance. "Yeah well, thanks I guess." Her feet resumed as she tried to step around the man. There was a slight smacking sound, of fist on wall, which brought her steps to a halt again.

"Hey now, I was wondering if you had some free time, later, or now." The man insisted.

"I'm really not interested, now excuse me." Monika's footfalls resumed more forcefully, only to stumble slightly. "Hey! Let go of me!" She raised her voice.

"Come on? Just a few minutes is all I'm-ACK!" The man was interrupted as James descended upon him, twisting his arm in such a way to release Monika. He then stepped between the two, keeping Monika to his back and the man to his front, while stepping backwards and towards the exit.

"Err! You asshole! I'll gut you!" The man then pull out a switchblade, flashing it in his hand. Behind him, Monika gasped fearfully. James bore a smile, hand reaching into his coat.

"Oh? You too?" James held up his hand, blocked so Monika would not see. Between his fingers was three long combat knives.

The large, shiny blades and James's confidence forced the man to reconsider. "H-Hey... Sorry! I'll be on my way." The man then turned and ran, rightfully sensing danger in that brief encounter.

"Hmm." James scoffed, his blades disappeared back into his coat. With that issue taken care of, he began to walk away.

"James…?" Monika questioned him cautiously.

"…?" He turned to regard her. Passively, calmly.

"T-Thank you." Monika stated while looking down. "But…why did you help me?"

"Because you are my president." He answered back confidently, leaving without waiting for a reply. That had forced Monika to hesitate, to consider. Certainly, it had been unexpected to receive James's assistance. It was also not unwelcome, a shining knight, come to save his princess…

Monika forced that line of thinking to stop, as James was far from a shining knight. She wasn't quite sure what he had done, but he seemed to have no reservations about hurting others. And his assistance was less a desire to help a girl, and more an obligation to support a superior officer. That was what she could infer so far. It left her…uncertain. Still, not wanting to worry her friends, she made haste to return to them.

. . .

An hour and change later, and the club was still enjoying wandering the mall. The sun was nearing the horizon, and with it, the mall began to thin out.

"Hey." Natsuki whispered to Sayori, within earshot of James but not realizing he could listen. "I need to get going soon, so…I'm…going to do it."

"Huh! Really?" Sayori gasped happily. "Okay! I'll keep everyone else busy! Good luck!" Sayori then jogged off to /bother/ entertain Monika and Yuri for as long as she could.

 _Oh what now…_ Strayed complained as Natsuki nervously approached the shared body of the Lynx, observing the few people around critically and patiently.

"Uh…hey James?" Natsuki questioned. "Can I talk to you?"

"…Aren't you already?" James questioned sarcastically, though without a rude tone.

"Ahaha, yeah, I mean, over here." She then gestured to an out of the way area, off an employee only route, behind an elevator.

"…" James glanced back in the direction of his other club members. The three of them were enjoying themselves. No one from the crowd stood out as dangerous or suspicious. Unfortunately, they would be alright on their own for a while, meaning he didn't have an excuse to deny Natsuki. "Alright."

Natsuki led him down the little hall, which had a window that looked out over part of the city. The setting sun filled the hall with gentle red light. She turned to face him, uncertain, nervous, but unwavering.

"So…remember last week? When I asked you to pretend to be my boyfriend?" Natsuki's hands gripped each other, and she avoided making eye contact with him.

"Yes." _Oh. She's going to…Just great_.

"Well, you really helped me out there. You've been really kind to me, kinder than most."

"…"

"And I…can't forget, when you kissed my head." Natsuki's hand brushed her hair back over her ear, letting him see just how brightly her cheeks were blushing.

"…"

"Or how close we came…before the festival." She looked up at him, hopeful, dreamy, in anticipation.

"…"

"So I wanted to ask you, because you have been so nice to me, because I feel safe with you, because I can't stop thinking about you…" Natsuki reached out, grabbing his hands, and taking a step forward, looking up at him with so much hope and happiness. "Will you…go out with me? Will you be my boyfriend…for real this time?" She stood up on her toes, forcing her hands still locked with his down, bringing their faces much closer together. James knew what she wanted, knew what she meant. As well, he knew the only answer he could give her.

"No." He forced his hands out of hers, taking a step back. At no point did his expression ever change.

"…" It took her a moment to realize what he said, to realize that he stepped away, to realize. "But…why?"

"Because, I can't ever feel that way, can't allow myself to." James calmly told her. "I gave up my right to that a long time ago. I'm sorry, but I cannot feel anything for anyone."

Natsuki collapsed to her knees, hands going to her face to wipe away tears, but they spilled faster than she could clear them. "I just wanted…just wanted someone who cared. Someone to hold. I… wanted to believe…you really cared about me. That maybe…you liked me too."

She paused as her breath quickened uncontrollably, sobbing loudly. "I just wanted…one thing. One happy thing in my life…and…I really thought you felt…the same way." She moved to cover both her eyes fully, hiding behind her hands. "I like you so much…but now I hate you! I like you! I hate you! Like you! Hate you! Like! Hate! La…" She stopped emitting words, collapsing to simply struggle to breath under the weight of her desperate sadness.

Her words had little effect on him. Her _actions_ on the other hand…were very familiar.

" _Mommy!" Cried the unknown child. "Mommy wake up!"_

_He turned at the noise, having thought he'd already cleared that building. He stepped over the cooling, bullet ridden corpses at the entrance, stalking calmly up the stairs. He found the child, kneeling beside the corpse of a woman, tugging at her back desperately._

" _Mommy! Mommy!" The little girl cried out desperately. Hopelessly._

_With inhuman calmness, he drew his sidearm. This district was under Eviction Contract, and he had taken the job to clear it out._

_Without hesitation, he took aim, and fired a single shot._

_The silence was deafening._

James grit his teeth at memory. He hated it when they cried. Hated that there was no kindness in him to return. If only there was something, he could do help her, to ease her pain…

He had an idea.

 _What…?_ Strayed questioned, suddenly realizing it was being thought about.

…

 _You want me too…?_ The split understood what was being asked of it. That didn't mean it agreed to it. _I'm not going to wipe her memory. She needs to remember this moment_.

 _Then can you take away her distress? That's all I ask of you_. James asked. _We are obligated to help her in some way after all._

 _Fine._ Strayed relented.

James knelt before Natsuki, his hand reached up to her temple.

"Wh…" Was all Natsuki could mutter between sobs as the foreign presence invaded her mind. This would be by far the most difficult mental attack it had thus far attempted. It had extracted Sayori's depression, recklessly torn Riku's mind asunder. Now, it would have to change Natsuki's mind about her rejection, forcing her to gracefully accept the outcome.

Natsuki found herself in that nightmarish nonexistence again. A rope stretched into eternity, with a familiar form dangling from it, with cold blue eyes cast downward. A hungry entity with large claws and too many eyes, that forced her down, eyeing her critically, cruelly.

Strayed, for it's part, wasn't entirely sure how to go about this problem. It settled then, to take her fears and reservations in that moment, and turn them into acceptance. With that in mind, it sunk it's claws in slowly, set on changing her mind without damaging her personality. It ignored her desperate and pained cries of agony. There was never anything pleasant about psychic warfare.

When it finished, neither it nor it's prey noticed the string that pulled out, as it tried to put her back together as well as it could.

Natsuki woke with a start. She placed her hands over her heart. An ache she couldn't comprehend that seemed hollow, false. She then rubbed her face and her throat, both feeling raw and sore.

 _Ah, that's right_. She'd been rejected, by the boy she liked…but that was alright. They were still friends. Nothing to worry about.

"Natsuki." James bent over her, offering his hand to help her stand. A bit confused, she took it, standing to her feet. "Do you feel better now?"

"Yeah…" She looked down for a moment, thinking. It was alright. It wasn't important. "It's fine."

With that, the two of them walked out of the hall and found their friends.

"So? What did he say!" Sayori bounded over to Natsuki eagerly. "Tell me! Tell me!"

"Ah. He said no." Natsuki dismissively told her.

Monika and Yuri perked up curiously while Sayori frowned. "No?" She asked sadly.

"But it's fine. Nothing to worry about. He's still my friend." Natsuki gave a small smile.

"Oh, alright." Sayori accepted. "Hey, didn't you say you need too…?"

"It's fine. Nothing to worry about." Natsuki responded automatically, dismissively, calmly.

"O-Okay." Sayori responded, a bit disturbed.

* * *

Hours later

It was dark by the time the mall closed. At that point, everyone agreed to go home. With promises that they would see each other the following school week.

"Uuu James! I'm tired." Sayori whined. "Carry me!"

"…" He sighed tiredly. "Fine."

"Hehe." Sayori giggled as James carried her in his arms. She still couldn't believe that he had denied Natsuki, even though they were so cute together. Still, that meant that she now could…

 _No_. She didn't like James that way. She just liked when they would hang out, and talk, and hug, and play. She liked doing everything with James, but she didn't like him that way…

But why didn't she? It didn't make sense to her. James was the nicest and most admirable boy she knew. And she was always happier when he was near. So why didn't she like him?

In another nearby head, someone else was having a difficult time as well.

 _…What the…?_ James questioned, feeling lost. They were clearly on the correct path to getting home. So why did the streets look a little different from his perspective. Like they were going in the wrong direction. He shook his head, dispelling the confusion, and resumed homeward.

* * *

One hour later

Natsuki turned the key to her home, entering with a calm and dispassionate energy. It was fine. Nothing to worry about.

She ignored the smell of cheap beer and cigarettes. It was fine. Nothing to worry about.

"Natsuki!" Her father shouted angrily, standing up and stomping his way over to her at the front door. She looked up at him in confusion, forgetting something.

"I told you to be home three fucking hours ago! Why the fuck are you home so late?" Her father loomed over her, eyes wide, spit spraying from his mouth.

"…" Natsuki looked away in confusion. She knew now she had forgotten something, but she couldn't remember what. "It's…fine? Nothing to worry about." She was compelled to say.

"…" Her father's head panned up, while his eyes, filled with rage, stayed glued on her. Something between a sigh and a growl escaped his mouth. "Alright then, so long as you know what's coming." He then raised his palm high above her.

Natsuki then remembered something.

* * *

30 Seconds Earlier

Having dropped Sayori off in her home, James then finished tinkering with the other half of a project. A series of magnetic coils wrapped around a pair of rods. Unfortunately, as with the previous project, the materials used would immediately fall apart after use. Still, it was within his expectations.

A sudden foreign sense of dread overtook him, forcing him to back away from the table, and take a battle stance in case of sudden attack. It didn't help him any, as he recoiled at a sudden pain in his face.

"Arrrr!" James grunted. "The _fuck_ was that?" He angrily questioned.

 _Unknown. However, your body appears to be fine_. Strayed informed him. Not that it did him any good as his scalp suddenly strained, as though his entire weight was suddenly supported at that point.

"…!" James grunted painfully, holding his head to try and ease the pressure.

 _This doesn't make any sense. None of your body's pain receptors should be set this high. Let alone be transmitting pain now_. Strayed contemplated.

The pressure on his head relented after a moment. It then began to rise in his arm, suddenly spiking as…

"Ahhhh!" James shouted at the foreign but familiar pain. That was a shoulder dislocating.

_Your shoulder has not dislocated. It's still properly attached._

James's vision flashed white, and he collapsed to the ground, clutching his head.

 _This must be some kind of psychic attack. That is the only explanation_.

Then a sharp, unfamiliar pain stung him across his backside, causing him to flinch and gasp. Then again, and again, for what was several minutes.

 _Do! Something!_ James pleaded to his split.

 _This attack is highly irregular. I am not able to trace it. It is not intentional nor traditional. I also cannot block the pain until I reach the one transmitting it._ Strayed explained.

The pain then transitioned to his front, centering on his stomach and chest, but occasionally grazing the rest of his body in fist and shoe shaped distortions. Finally, after several minutes, new pain stopped being felt, and James resigned himself to curl up until Strayed had found a solution.

Having left James's head, Strayed arrived a considerable distance away in someone else's brain. The consciousness of this person had resigned itself so deeply that it did not notice the invader. Strayed took control of the body without notice.

It's first observation was the damage to the left eye, forced closed by inflammation. A bright taste of copper burned in their mouth. Analysis of the incoming pain revealed a dislocated shoulder, cracked ribs, and a concussion. It tried to stand, but decided not to, as burning welts occupied the majority of the backside and thighs. It looked down, at the blue skirt the host was wearing, to see several long marks extending down their legs, seeping blood. Looking around to observe their surroundings, a small but clean room was mapped out; it was somewhat poorly lit, with a single lamp knocked over providing light. The color on the wall was a bright and faded pink.

Strayed turned the host's head to vomit a mixture of pizza and blood. A forelock of pink hair in a red hairclip fell into it's line of sight. Backing away from the mess, Strayed set the host down on their side, retreating into their memory to extract an address, before returning to James.

The sharp pain across James's body suddenly receded, reduced to a dull ache. The familiar weight of his weaponized split personality returned to him. Tiredly, he stood, ready to do the one thing he became a Lynx to achieve.

Enact revenge without remorse.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Authors Note: Just something to complicate things, I'm currently posting this rapidly.


	11. Inconvenient Acquisition

Strayed explained to him the circumstances of what had transpired moments before. A psychic link had been formed, allowing the transfer of information between two distant minds. This other person had then been assaulted and accidently shared the experience across the link. That was why it had been so agonizing, as James hadn't experienced that much pain since he was augmented. The link bypassed those blocks and controls and allowed him to experience the other person's agony at the same level.

Strayed had it's own theories as to what caused the link, but that could only be discovered later. As it was, they only had three options before them to address the link.

Option 1: Kill Natsuki.

That would cut the link off permanently. However, there was no evidence to suggest she had intentionally transmitted that agony, or that she was aware of the link. As such, her status would remain as allied.

Option 2: Modify Natsuki. Cut the link.

This option carried uncertainty. Since the circumstances of the link were unknown, cutting it off could be as simple as a change in her thoughts or as complicated as a lobotomy. As such, it was only a suggestion. In either event, it was unfortunately quite clear which option was going to be selected.

Option 3: Acquire Natsuki.

Natsuki was clearly in an undesirable position. Even if she did not currently represent a weakness to their combat capabilities, they could not leave her in her current position. As allies, they were compelled to secure her safety above all else. Even if it was the most inconvenient choice, that did not dissuade the fact that it would be the correct one.

With that in mind, James loaded his truck with the necessary equipment to complete his newest objective, making all due haste toward his target's location.

* * *

Fifteen Minutes Later

It would have been easy to simply break down the door and extract the target. Except for one thing.

James was personally injured, insulted, enraged.

He used a specialized key to open the door. Appearing as a small black chip, the key would become a ferrofluid when inserted into a lock, filling out the space and becoming a solid again when torque was applied. The door opened a few inches, only to be stopped by a thin security chain. Slipping a black knife through the gap, the chain was bisected instantly, granting him full access to the house. He walked in without a sound.

There was a certain filthiness to the walls, the floors, the furniture, indicative of laziness, and passivity. James could smell his first target, hear his snores in the living room in front of the television. Ignoring that for a moment, James went to investigate the kitchen. A question that he had once raised, and his only opportunity to find the evidence now presented itself.

Opening the fridge, James found plenty of cold, cheap beer. A carton of milk, the last inch solid. A bag of fast food, with a receipt for purchase from earlier that evening. The cabinets were barren, gathering dust. Even James, without a refrigerator or even a microwave, kept a large stock of MRE's and plenty of drinking water.

This man only concerned himself in regards to his own nutrition. It was clear to James that no consideration was being made for his daughter.

It was a different kind of agony. Restraining himself, James's approached the shorter man as he slept in his chair. The man smelled of tobacco and alcohol, face gaunt in exhaustion, wearing an unclean and creased white shirt and loose tie, blood drying on his knuckles.

James picked up a beer can from the floor, one of many he had navigated around. With the flick of his wrist, the can bounced off the sleeping man's forehead, stunning him awake.

"What! Eff…Hey! What the fuck!" The man noticed the trench coated foreigner standing a few feet away. "Get the fuck out of my house!" The man rose, charging him, fist raised and connecting with his face.

James ignored the blows, forceful, yet untrained. Sayori had presented more of a threat the week before. Quickly, the man stopped trying, his hands sore from throwing wild punches at the wall that was the Lynx.

"F-Fuck you! I'm calling the cops!" The man stomped his way over to the kitchen, dialing a landline that sat on the counter. James had silently followed, holding down the receiver, then crushed the phone with one finger.

"Tsk!" The man cringed. "What do you want?"

James set his jaw, eyes burning with focus and forced calmness. "I'm here, because of your daughter."

"What? You her boyfriend or some shit? She call you? _Fucking bitch_." The man cursed under his breath.

"No, no. I came of my own volition, beckoned only by her _screams_."

"Well, unless you plan on squaring up, get the fuck out of my house." The man threatened, maintaining an aura of confidence that he was being _allowed_ to keep.

"I've hunted and dropped your kind by the hundreds."

"You don't know jack shit about me boy!"

"Broken men, quick to agitate, lacking patience."

"What!?" The man questioned at being labeled so distinctly.

"Your wife's gone." That brought the man to a halt. How could a stranger know that? "Maybe she died, maybe she walked away, doesn't matter. Either way, you know she left you."

"S-Shut up! That's not…"

"Left you with a hungry and lonely child. Between that and a dead-end job with no possibility of promotion, you turned to drinking. Dulling the pain the world dealt you."

"Y-You! You don't know anything!"

"And that child. Lonely and ungrateful of the backbreaking labor you put yourself through every day."

"Hey! Leave her out of this!"

"So, so ungrateful. So…annoying, and the labor wears you down further and further every day. Until, you decide to show the only person who will listen just how big and strong you are. A big man, stronger than the world."

"That's not…"

"It started simple enough. A backhand here, a thorough spanking there, to make sure she listen to you. To know you, are the bigger man."

"I-It's nothing like that!"

"But that just wasn't enough for you, was it? For every slight and injustice you've suffered, you needed to make sure she suffered with you, because you couldn't stand the thought of suffering alone. So you wailed, and beat, and bloodied your knuckles until she couldn't even stand anymore."

"S-She…!"

"She what? Deserves to be beaten black and blue? Deserves to bleed and cry alone for the faults in your life? Deserves to starve so much to becomes the shortest in her year? Certainly, children need to be disciplined, but never to starve, never for the slightest faults. No, torturing that child has simply become an addiction for you. It's the high you get when life tears you down."

"It's not…That's not…" The man hesitated, sweating fiercely. "How could…you know that?"

"I said it before, I've hunted and dropped your kind by the hundreds. Seen those like you, self-righteous, infallible, cruel, but ultimately, weak. So, I know when someone like you is lying. I know what you really care about. So, tell me, whose life do you value more?"

"W-What?" That caught the man off guard.

"If I gave you a choice, who would you chose to save? Yourself? Or your only child? Who?" James waited impatiently, his fingers curling in anticipation.

"I-I wouldn't know! Don't ask me something stupid like that!" The man tried to dismiss. James wouldn't have it.

His fist swung out, folding the refrigerator in half. Steel rended and tore around his arm while plastic cracked. "Who!" He shouted his question.

"I don't know! I don't know!" The man fearfully shouted back.

James drove his fist down into the nearby oven. He pulled the door off from the inside, tossing it aside. Backed into a corner, the man turned and grabbed a large knife from a rack. The mercenary reacted quickly, reaching over the top and grabbing the blade, shattering the metal in his grip. His other hand grabbed the man by the throat, lifting him up before throwing him across the house. The father landed on top of his television, knocking it over. He turned over painfully, alerted by a heavy thud. James drew a pair of combat knives, his expression never changing.

" _Who?_ " He whispered threateningly.

"Please! Please don't hurt me!" The father pleaded desperately.

"…" It would have brought him so much satisfaction to gut and carve and tear his enemy apart. He even salivated at the thought, using his knives and hands to spill open his prey. But he still had a job to do, he could not spend all night here.

He took a knee near the man, holding a knife directly over his eye, so close that blinking would cut the man.

" _You, you are not even worthy of being killed. So, I'll make this very simple_." James rotated his hand, never moving the tip of the blade from above. He then rotated it in the opposite direction, the impossibly sharp blade cutting down on the bridge of the man's nose, causing him to scream loudly, but he couldn't move or he'd lose an eye as well.

" _I'm taking your daughter. And you will not see her ever again_." James then stood, leaving the man there on the floor. He collected several duffle bags he'd left at the foot of the stairs before heading to his primary objective.

That little girl, that hours before had been so kind to him. That had desperately asked for an emotional commitment. Now, Natsuki lay broken, battered, and bloodied. Laying on her side, she cried silently, tears streaming down her face, breath shallow and forced. Her left eye hidden under a mass of swollen black flesh, lip split, nose bleeding, left shoulder at an odd angle, long, black and blue welts on her thighs leading up past her skirt. James saw all of this…

Yet felt absolutely nothing. Just another job, which he committed to without hesitation.

Setting the bags down, he pulled out his phone to do an initial X-Ray scan. Having confirmed the state of her shoulder and nothing broken in her body, James went over to her dresser, finding a wooden comb in front of a mirror. Kneeling in front of Natsuki, he hooked his fingers under her right shoulder, making her sit up.

"Ah-ah-ah!" Natsuki squeaked in pain, eyes winced shut.

"Natsuki." James calmly stated. "I need to reset your shoulder. Bite down on this."

"…J-…?" She questioned, uncertain and confused.

"Please open your mouth." He calmly commanded.

"…" Natsuki forced her mouth open, and he inserted the wooden comb for her to bite down on.

"This is going to hurt. A lot." James kept his hand on her right shoulder and lightly grasped her left. "On the count of three. One." He then twisted his wrist suddenly, forcing her bone back into position.

"EHHHHHH-AHHHH!" Natsuki cried out, the comb dropping from her mouth so that she might scream louder. Her good eye opened wide, recognizing him. James placed his palm on her right cheek.

"The worst part is anticipating pain." James whispered to her as she began a new bout of loud sobbing. Even muted, he had felt that, further proof that he'd been connected to her.

With careful consideration he scooped her up, laying her on her bed for the moment. Natsuki for her part continued to cry, clutching at her stomach with both arms now.

Taking a full assessment of the room, James found he had overestimated the number of bags he would need. He emptied her closet and dresser in one bag, and everything else into another. He was done in less than ten minutes.

He took a moment, searching her memories, to find something he had only speculated, but had correctly guessed at. Approaching a loose floorboard, he pulled it up, finding two items. A small, pink wallet with five hundred Yen and a picture, showing a family of three. A familiar looking man, though looking lively, happy, and young, a young woman with short hair, with a kind expression on her face, and a child, clutched happily in her mother's arms. A child with short, pink hair…

James frowned at the familiarity. Purposely forcing his emotions to suppress, he pocketed both items and turned to Natsuki again.

He noted, with passive alarm, that she had passed out, several shades paler than usual. That was some cause for concern. Without pause, he collected both bags on his back and Natsuki limply in his arms, heading down the stairs. He saw her father, clutching his ruined nose, trying to force open the refrigerator to acquire a drink. James slipped past him and out the front door.

Quickly yet carefully, he secured the unconscious girl in his truck before hastily making his way home. His work was not even close to being done.

* * *

Ten Minutes Later

Dropping both bags by the door, James swiftly took Natsuki to his room, laying her down on his cot. Her breaths had grown shallower, and skin even paler where it was not bruised. Carefully, he undressed her, observing the extent of black and blue bruising on her stomach and chest. Taking out his phone, he went back and forth, scanning her on X-Ray and MRI, finding considerable bleeding internally.

Perhaps he hadn't injured her father enough.

She needed immediate medical attention. However, James would not allow her to be handled by the archaic practices of the twenty-first century. Even though he found taking a person apart far easier, James was well knowledgeable in the reverse, and would use his own techniques to bring back her health.

Leaving her side for only a moment, he retrieved four boxes, two large and two small, all very valuable. Opening the largest box, he pulled out an IV stand, setting it up nearby. He then opened a smaller, refrigerated box inside that one, taking several dark red bags. This was his own blood, Lynx blood. Hanging the bags on the stand, he finished with the large box by pulling out a small table.

Taking a moment to sterilize everything, he then opened one of the smaller boxes, removing a laser cauterizer and setting his black combat knife beside it, as well as another tool for manipulating nerve tissue.

Opening the other large box, he found several small components. Mechanical Augments. Selecting nine of the components, he placed them on their own spot nearby.

With the last small box, he was extremely careful. This one was easily more valuable than his own NEXT. Inside were five vials, filled with shimmering black fluid, and a programmable syringe. Selecting one of the vials, he inserted it into the syringe and set it aside. These were medical nanites, highly expensive and extremely versatile single use machines that could be used to create Lynx.

Or save a girl's life.

With these items out, he lastly retrieved his personal laptop, and several corresponding cables. The cables that ended in soft suction-cups he attached to Natsuki's head, neck, and chest. The cable ending in a three-inch-long spike, he inserted into his own neck, into his spinal data plug. He'd have to regulate Natsuki's body functions while he worked.

With the blood bags, he attached them to himself, into a port on the inside of his elbow. From his other elbow, he connected a tube into Natsuki's arm. He'd also regulate the blood he replaced into her directly. He didn't bother checking her blood type, as becoming a Lynx came with the genetic disposition of being a universal donor.

He took one last moment to make sure Natsuki would stay unconscious for the rest of the night, suppressing her consciousness to something between a coma and deep sleep. It would not do for her to wake up with what he was about to do.

He took a glance at the nine augments he was about to install. The Augmentation Regulator, which acted as a control point for all the other augments. A Pain Tolerance Limiter, and an illegal mod he found at a black market, a Limited Capacity Combat AI. All of these would be installed along her spine.

A Biowaste Energy Converter and Nutrition Filter would be installed along her intestines. A Chemical Regulator to balance her chemicals and pheromones; and an Infection and Injury Support Unit, to help her heal and fight disease, were to be installed with her inner organs.

Lastly, a Circulatory Bypass Pump would be installed near her heart while an Ocular Information Display would be installed inside her right eye.

With everything selected, he took his black, high-frequency blade, and began to make clean cuts in her midsection and up to her chest. Plunging his gloved hands into the opening to move her organs out of the way, he began his work without hesitation.

* * *

Natsuki awoke in a place that should not exist. Her first inclination that something was wrong was the overwhelming musk of rot and rust. Opening her eyes suddenly at the foul smell, she found herself in a dark alley, with grime and garbage piled high in every direction. Around her, buildings constructed from refuse and rubbish towered above her precariously. A fair distance above, the cold and cracked sky loomed, illuminated with irregular light. A concrete sky.

Stepping out into the street, she noticed hundreds of people, of every race and skin color, looking gaunt and hollow, walking with a sulking gait. Each wore a working uniform, which was color coded based on group. Though she was ignored, she was caught up in the crowd, catching sights she couldn't even imagine. In just a few minutes hundreds of drones passed over head, going in every which direction.

A loud clanging sound from above got her attention, she and the group around her paused, only to be mortified at the sight of a person falling. They hit the ground with a sickening crunch, causing her breath to hitch at the horrific realization. The dozen closest people rushed forward, she thought for a moment, to help…

Only to watch in awestruck terror as they fought each other, trying for the opportunity and chance to steal from the recently deceased. Two or three made off with something of value, the rest leaving dejectedly, sporting new bruises. A drone descended over the corpse, appearing to scrape it off the cracked and grimy pavement. As quickly as they had stopped, everyone suddenly resumed walking like nothing ever happened.

Coming to an intersection, there was a loud, grating sound. The obnoxious roar of a shrill siren, bringing her side and the opposite side to a halt. It was then that she noticed the reverberating shaking from the ground. Looking down the intersection, she was confounded at the sight of a walking tank. A large metal box with cannons and missile tubes thundered slowly down the street on reverse jointed legs. A pair of men with their heads poking out of the top, panning turreted machine guns back and forth. Behind this vehicle appeared to be several regular armored trucks with machine guns. Cold and dispassionate men and women of this group kept their guns up, trained on the crowds. In response, the crowds kept their heads down, patiently waiting for the intersection to clear.

Chilled by the callousness of what she assumed to be the local police, Natsuki looked across the street at the people over there, only to stare into a pair of dull, blue eyes she was intimately familiar with. They stared back for a moment, before the walking tank and it's convoy interrupted her line of sight. Once out of the way, the opposing crowds of people resumed their walking, and Natsuki turned to shout into the opposite group.

"Sayori! Sayori are you there?!" She shouted above the dull rumbling of people walking. She caught sight of a head of coral pink hair, and a telling red bow. "Sayori over here!" She jumped and shouted, but was ignored by the familiar looking head, as they were swept away from each other by the crowd.

Just then, there was a different sounding alarm, one that reverberated and echoed across whatever city this was. " _Attention Citizens_." Called a voice from a loudspeaker in a language she did not recognize, but nonetheless understood perfectly. " _An Ordered Match has been announced between the Rank 28_ _th_ _and Rank 15_ _th_ _Lynx. Second shift citizens have the opportunity to view this event at your local amphitheater in one hour_."

Natsuki had no idea what any of that meant, but the crowd around her suddenly gained a liveliness and energy they did not possess before. Order seemed to break down slightly as everyone made their way to an event arena, taking a seat as soon as they could find one, with herself being forced to follow and sit as well. Shortly, large screens began projecting images.

" _Citizens! For your viewing pleasure, Collared proudly presents Ordered Match #1455_." The announcer shouted. " _Dan Moro, Rank 28_ _th_ _, in his NEXT, Celebrity Ash_!" The image on one side of the screen showed a blue superhero man in front of a red and white shield. It reminded her of a character from a few American movies she had seen a few years before. " _Versus! The Spider Bitch herself, Shamir RaviRavi, Rank 15_ _th_ _in her NEXT, Red Rum_!" The image that displayed for the woman was of a red spider in front of a red circle.

The image then changed to show an open desert in the middle of an abandoned city. Standing at opposite ends of the city were two battle ready mechs. One was blue and gold, and stood on two legs, while the other was bright red, and stood on four legs.

"Mechs?" Natsuki questioned, confused at the implication. They certainly appeared to be powerful machines, but she couldn't begin to imagine their capabilities. She wasn't a fan of mecha. Suddenly, the fight began, with both opponents rushing each other at supersonic speeds. They went back and forth for several minutes, using ordnance so large that several surrounding buildings were knocked down. However, it was clear the red mech piloted by the woman was going to win.

" _Danny boy, Danny boy, today isn't your lucky day is it_!" The woman mocked, her transmissions being broadcast for the audience to hear.

" _What are you blabbering about? Do you ever shut up? All bark and no bite huh?"_ The man answered back.

" _Awe Danny, don't be like that_." The woman cheerfully answered back. " _We could have had a great time. Hell, we'd still probably be at it now if you had agreed to my offer_."

" _Screw that, no way I'd sleep with you, you crazy bitch._ " His talking distracted him for a moment, allowing the red mech to suddenly blindside him, knocking away his large rifle and knocking the mech onto his back. Red Rum pounced then, pining the blue and gold mech's limbs with her insect like legs.

" _Don't you know Danny, I always get. What. I. Want_." Red Rum then began to slam her fist into the other mech. " _And this is just about as good of a time I was hoping you'd give me_." Her strikes had apparently forced open the cockpit, as she suddenly reached down and plucked a man from the machine below her.

" _NO! Don't do it! NO_!" The man pleaded desperately as Red Rum held him high above her mech, suddenly placing a second hand on the body. Then with a twist, Red Rum pulled her hands apart, spilling blood and guts over herself.

" _HAHAHAHAHAHA!_ " She cackled madly and blissfully.

" _Red Rum! Red Rum! Red Rum! Red Rum_!" The crowd shouted joyfully, cheering the act of barbarism, glorifying it.

Natsuki's eyes widened in sick horror. She'd been terribly disturbed when she had seen the crowds swarm that jumper before, but here they were, cheering and enjoying a _goddamn blood sport_.

Looking around her, everyone cheered and shouted gleefully at the sight of a man's guts spilled cruelly by his enemy. Everyone, except one man. One man who stood out from the crowd in a grey trench coat, who calmly got up and walked away. As he turned, Natsuki caught sight of his face, and jumped up to try and alert him.

"James? James! Over here!" She shouted desperately but was drowned out by the crowds who turned to leave.

" _Thank you, citizens, for attending this viewing. A food unit will be distributed for all attendees at the exit. Have a nice day_." The loudspeaker called. Approaching the exit with the crowd, Natsuki spotted what appeared to be a pair of armored cops, holding large combat shotguns. Before she even approached the dispensary for food, someone who had gotten their share suddenly jumped from the exit line, pushing over another citizen.

"Hey knock it off!" The cops shouted, raising their guns.

"Thief! Stop that thief!" A citizen shouted.

With just that warning, both cops fired on the running thief. Two, four, six shots. Natsuki had covered her ears and looked up terrified to see that the runner had been shot down. The woman he had stolen from scurried over to the corpse.

"Get the fuck back in line!" The closet cop shouted.

"B-But! He stole from me!" The woman pleaded.

"Like. I. Fucking. Care." Was the only warning she got before he fired at her face, knocking her down.

Tears fell freely from Natsuki. She sobbed loudly at the double murder she'd just witnessed. She barely even registered taking a food item from the dispenser as she forced herself to stop looking at the bodies.

"Wooo! Damn Todd, that makes what? Seven today?" The other cop cheered his partner. He cocked his gun, aiming it up at Natsuki. "Hey, why don't you steal too? So I can keep my score up."

Only the pushing from behind kept her feet moving as she tried to hide her face behind her hands, unable to cope with the stress and fear and sight of everything. She was the only one who responded to the murder. She was the only one who responded to the threat. No one else even gave it a second thought. As soon as the arena and those two enforcers were well behind her, she rushed down another dark alley, out of sight, and hopefully out of mind.

Crying alone, head in her hands, she curled herself into as small a space as she could. The stink of this place. The filthiness. The cruel callousness of everyone she had seen so far. She flinched at the sound of sheet metal clanking in the distance. She hated this place, it was cold, cruel, scary, it had to be **HELL**.

She looked at her hands, at the thing she had received. It was a green opaque plate, about three inches across. It smelled like nothing and looked unappetizing, but it was food, and she had learned through years of cruelty to never turn down free food.

Bringing the small plate to her mouth, _something_ reached out and grabbed her arm. " _I would not eat that if I were you_." The owner of the black claws warned. Unlike before, it had attempted to appear slightly less terrifying, simply wearing a dark hood over a void where no face could be seen. It's other claw tore the plate from her terrified grasp.

"I-I'm sorry! Please! Don't hurt me! Don't hurt me…" Natsuki pleaded to the figure, shrinking herself as much as she could.

" _You shouldn't even be here…?_ " The figure questioned as it loomed over her.

"T-Then I'll leave immediately. I'm sorry!" Natsuki tried to stand.

" _Wait_." The kneeling figure placed a claw on her chest, keeping her down. Despite the cruel appearance of the appendage, there was a warming comfort to it, the first of any kind she'd felt in many cruel and uncomfortable hours. " _What I mean is…you should not be in this place. How did you get here?_ "

"I-I just, woke up here. I remember being home, seeing James…and then I was here." She explained to the cloaked being.

The cloaked figure cocked it's head curiously. It seemed to sigh.

"Where are we? What is this place? Why is everything so…. horrible?" Natsuki asked.

" _This place…is just a memory. A place that once was…or might be one day_."

"Ah, a memory?" Natsuki questioned. "It feels more like a nightmare…" She was then interrupted by the grumbling of her own stomach. "Ehehe."

" _Regardless, it seems you are still lacking nutrition_." The figure looked down at her curiously.

"Yeah, but you took the only food there is in this place." Natsuki complained with a pout.

" _You do not want to eat this. However_ …" The figure took the green plate in it's claw and covered it with it's other. Uncovered, it revealed a brown and white cupcake with a drawn cat face.

Natsuki gasped. That looked like the one she had made for James nearly a month before. The figure held it out for her, it's lack of a face making the scene more surreal.

"T-Thank you." Natsuki thanked the being, taking the familiar cupcake. Taking a bite out of it, she jumped at it's sweetness, like it was the sweetest thing she had ever eaten. She greedily chowed down on it, a few better memories helping her forget the horrible place she was in. Sweetly, she looked up into the void where the figures face should be. Though unsettled, this creature was the kindest she had met in this place so far.

"My name is Natsuki. It's nice to meet you." She greeted kindly; her hand raised for it to shake. The figure flinched in surprise, looking curiously at her. It then raised it's own claw, staring at it questionably. With resignation, it reached out, grasping her small hand in it's black metallic claw.

" _My name is…Strayed_."

* * *

**/INITIALIZING/**

**/UNIT TYPE: HUMANPLUS**

**/COMMAND NETWORK: ORCA BATTLE NET**

**/IFF DESIGNATION: NATSUKI**

**/MODULES STATUS:**

**-AUGMENTATION REGULATOR: ONLINE**

**-BIOWASTE ENERGY CONVERTER: ONLINE**

**-NUTRITION FILTER: ONLINE**

**-CHEMICAL REGULATOR: STANDBY**

**-PAIN TOLERANCE LIMITER: IN OPERATION - 34%**

**-[WARNING - ILLEGAL MOD] LCC AI: STANDBY**

**-OCULAR INFORMATION DISPLAY: ONLINE – MOVING TO STANDBY**

**-I &I SUPPORT UNIT: IN OPERATION – 20%**

**/PERMISSIONS STATUS:**

**-NORMAL MODE ACTIVE**

**-COMBAT MODE LOCKED TO MATCHED ESCALATION PERAMETERS**

**/COMBAT EFFICIENCY: 10%**

**/ACTIVATING UNIT. . .**

Natsuki awoke, for real this time, with a mixture of emotions. Fearful of memories from the previous night, apprehensive of the memory of that strange nightmare.

The strange feeling that she had made a friend.

Opening her eyes, she noticed a severe lack of vision out of her right eye. She touched her face, finding a bandage over that eye. Odd, wasn't it her left eye that had been injured? Taking a moment to observe herself, she was in some state of undress, with a large, loose fitting white shirt protecting the majority of her modesty. Underneath that, she wore bandages around her body. An IV line with clear fluid was connected to her arm.

Looking around, she was in a cot, with a few blankets pulled over herself. The room she was in was exceptionally bare, with only several large boxes along the walls and corners. The only item of any particular note was…

The large black flag hanging on the wall. As the only thing of interest, Natsuki took a more critical look at it. It hung vertically, with several English letters running down it, as well as four stars. The letters appeared to spell…

**O**

**R**

**C**

**A**

_ORCA?_ She tried to imagine the sound. English wasn't a language she understood well. Standing up to get closer to the flag, and dragging her IV line, she noticed three framed pictures on a dresser beneath the flag.

The first one showed James next to a one-eyed woman, with a flower in her hair. The picture had been taken from the woman's arm, being a selfie, with James in the background, working on something mechanical in nature. There was a playfulness to the woman's expression, and a resigned dismissive look on James. Natsuki smiled at the sight, imagining it taking place.

The second picture was of a short-haired blonde woman. Appearing to be over thirty, her face radiated with kindness, and intelligence. She must be someone important in James's life.

The third picture was of thirteen people standing side by side. Twelve men, including James, and one woman. One of the first details she noticed was that one of the men's faces was scratched out, so that he could not be identified. All of them were wearing colored trench coats. But it was their faces, all held in serious expressions, of commitment, and finality. Behind them, was a similar black banner.

"I see that you are awake."

Natsuki gasped and turned, finding James there a few feet away, holding onto several items. It took her a moment, but eventually she found her voice to raise a serious question.

"Where are we? Where are my clothes?" She spat.

"At my place. In a bag behind you." James answered quickly and flatly.

"Did you…undress me?" She accused.

"Yes." James then set the items he was holding down by the cot, unfolding a small stool to sit on, as well as several bags and bottles of water. "It was necessary for the surgery."

"S…Surgery?" Natsuki questioned incredulously.

"Massive internal hemorrhaging necessitated the need to intervene directly." Opening two bags, he emptied their contents, then filled the larger bags with water.

"I don't-feel like I had surgery?"

"I gave you a very powerful medicine to speed up your recovery. Take a seat." James gestured to the cot. "You should eat something."

Apprehensively taking a seat, Natsuki started to think about the situation she was being presented with. "Wait...why did _you_ do surgery? Why didn't you go to a hospital?"

"Faster. Better trained. Better equipment."

"Wait-wait-wait…you're a doctor?" She raised her eyebrow at him.

"Mmm, I'm very familiar with the human body, in my line of work."

"…" Natsuki patted herself, feeling not even a hint of the pain she was in when James had found her.

"What…kind of medicine did you give me?" She asked curiously.

"Very expensive. Very rare. Very powerful."

"Well…how much do I owe you? I'll be sure to pay you back." She offered.

"Fifty billion Yen." James answered as neutrally as he had been so far.

"Eh…!" Natsuki looked up in surprise. "Y-You're joking right? Ehehe?"

"Nope, it was extremely rare." Even having used only a tenth of a vile to heal her wounds, Nanomachines wouldn't be mass produced for at least four centuries. Three if he lived that long, but he wasn't counting on that. "Extremely expensive."

"B-B-But! I can't pay you that?!" Natsuki all but shouted.

"I know. You'll just…have to pay off your debt some other way."

Natsuki turned herself away, covering her chest with her arms while looking angrily at him.

"No. No. Not like that." James shook his head, having read her expressions quite clearly. Natsuki relaxed in response, watching as James inserted bags back into the water filled bags. "But that's not important right now. What we should be talking about is your situation."

"Ah…" Natsuki groaned. "Um…thanks for helping me…but…I really need to be getting home…"

"I cannot allow that."

"Eh?" Natsuki looked up in surprise. "What do you mean? You can't just-keep me here!"

"I wasn't planning on that. However-" James, calm and without breaking eye contact, explained. "I cannot allow you to return home."

"Well why not!" Natsuki shouted.

"…" James looked up with offended questionability. "Because you were clearly being abused."

"It…It's not like that…" Natsuki refused to look at him. "Papa is just-"

"Your _father_ would have killed you had I not arrived." James spat, eyes more focused. "So no excuses, I will take care of everything to make sure you never have to suffer again because of him."

"…" Natsuki looked down, a slight shiver running down her back. "…Thank you." She whispered dearly.

"…For what it's worth…I'm sorry." Natsuki looked up in surprise at this declaration. It was James's turn to look away in shame.

"You…don't have to be sorry for me…"

"Not…for…" James paused for a moment. "Because I knew from the first moment I met you that something was wrong. I could tell you were not eating enough. I should have done something then." _And because it's my fault you almost died_ , he thought.

Though it was more correctly Strayed's fault, it was both their faults. They had changed Natsuki so she would not worry about anything stressful that day, not realizing that also removed her urgency to return home on time to avoid a beating. The life of a loyal ally was nearly compromised because of their incompetence.

"James… you couldn't have known…it's alright." Natsuki pleaded.

"Mmm…food's ready." James stated, handing Natsuki one of the brown bags and a fork.

"Hmm? What's this?" Natsuki looked at the bag curiously.

"It's called an MRE. Meal, Ready-to-Eat. Just add water."

Natsuki reluctantly took the bag of food, giving it a critical look before taking an experimental bite. Accepting that it was edible, she continued eating. "It's…alright."

"…" James shrugged, eating his own food without a thought.

"So…how long do I need to stay here?" Natsuki asked.

"At least 'till tomorrow. After that…" James paused between bites. "I'd prefer it if you moved in with Sayori."

"You…" Natsuki paused for a moment. On one hand, there was surprise that he didn't ask her to stay, as though the idea of living with a girl was not enticing to him. On the other hand, the ease at which he dismissed her was disheartening. She chose her words carefully. "…wouldn't want me to stay?"

"…" James paused, stopping his eating to think. "My home is not equipped to handle visitors. Though I would prefer my privacy…I would allow you to stay under a few conditions." Ideally, she would live with Sayori and be close enough to keep an eye on, since their connection presented a weakness to him, while also giving him his space and privacy.

"Like what?" Natsuki asked him in full interest.

"…" James sighed, she was going to be insistent, wasn't she? "I'll set a room and bathroom aside just for you. You would also be allowed in the kitchen and common area. However, my room, my office, and the garage would be for my personal use only. Additionally, you would not be permitted to inquire about the nature of my work."

"I…guess that's alright. Can we do that?" Natsuki insisted with a bright and eager eye.

 _Fuck_. Strayed disliked the situation but could find no way to argue against it.

"…Fine."

Natsuki smiled sweetly, feeling that something had finally gone right. Still, she had questions that she needed satiated.

"Hey James, what's with the flag?" She pointed up at the black banner that dominated the far wall.

"Ah…" James struggled to come up with an answer that didn't rhyme with ' _revolutionary group considered terrorist by the world over_ '. "That's from my previous employer."

"They had their own flag?" She questioned with some disbelief.

"We were…a very proud group." James hesitated momentarily.

"Hmm, and those pictures, who are those people?"

 _Ah, whatever_. James relented, getting up to retrieve the three pictures, holding them out for her to take. The first one he showed her was of the thirteen people.

"These are the members of that group. We took this photo shortly after forming."

"Ah…but why is this guy's face scratched out?"

"…" James took a moment to breathe. _Fucking Old King_. "Someone…who cannot be forgiven."

Natsuki looked up in worry, though wasn't allowed to dwell on it as James handed her another photo, the one of him and another woman. Secretly, she was holding onto a tiny bit of jealously, only swayed by the woman appearing to be almost two decades his senior.

"This is my business partner, Serena Haze. She was very experienced in our line of work. She's someone I trust implicitly."

"Did that make her a friend?" Natsuki inquired, uncertain if 'business partner' was a truly platonic definition for the woman.

"Well…she helped me become very successful, even lending me funding and supplies when I desperately needed it. So, yes, she was a friend."

Natsuki nodded, trading for the final picture of the kind looking blonde woman.

"This is my stepmother, Fiona." James calmly mentioned.

Perking up at the information, Natsuki eyed the woman much more critically, and with greater interest. "She's very pretty." She complimented. "Where is she now?"

"…" James paused again, despondently this time. "I don't know."

Natsuki looked at him with worried and sympathetic eyes.

"After…my stepfather died, I lost contact with her. No goodbye, no notice that she was leaving, just…gone, off the face of the planet."

They both sat quietly for a moment. James's story brought something important to Natsuki's mind though.

"Oh! James! We…have to go back! I…forgot something really important!" Natsuki urgently pleaded to him.

"…" James hummed very quietly. Wordlessly, he reached into his coat, pulling out a small, old photo, and handed it to her. As well as her wallet, that he'd put ten thousand Yen in for her personal use.

"How…did you find this? I never told anyone, not even Papa knew about this…" She eagerly took the photo, eyeing it somberly, before tears started to fall.

"We…we were so happy back then. We didn't have everything. But we had each other."

"…"

"And then…my Mom died…and Papa…he changed. First he was sad, he forgot about me for a while. I just wanted him to notice me…"

"…"

"But when he did, he got mad. He said I reminded him of her. He said she died because of me. Then he started hurting me, and then I hoped he would never notice me."

James let her cry for a few minutes, watching patiently. Sympathetic, yet indifferent. Then he had an idea. He took out another photo, one he always kept on himself, and handed this one to her.

"…" Wordlessly, Natsuki took the photo, eyeing it curiously. The blonde woman was in this one as well, holding a young dark haired boy from behind. Behind her, was a tall and elegant looking man in a white trench coat, his face carved in quiet calmness.

"I…understand a little of what that's like. Not quite the same, but…" James stated. "My parents died over a decade ago. The man who became my stepfather was obligated to take care of me. He did so gladly. He also beat me, broke my bones, bruised me black, but it was different."

"James…I'm sorry…I didn't know-" Natsuki tried to express her sympathies but was interrupted.

"Wait." He stopped her. "It was different, because I asked him to do that."

"What…?" She looked at him with concern.

"You see, that man owed a great debt to my grandmother and to me. He would have done anything for me, and all he wanted was for me to live a happy and long life, free of pain and suffering. But I only asked him for one thing ever, I asked him… to teach me how to fight."

"James…" Natsuki expressed her worry.

"He was always a kind man, quiet, to the point of being expressionless even, but always kind, and always caring. I _forced_ him to teach me, to hold nothing back. He hated it, but he had a life debt. I think he was hoping that I might…back down, give up, accept a quiet life helping him and Fiona in a workshop, but I never did. The only time I didn't stand back up is when I wasn't _alive_ to do it."

"That's…very sad James. Why did you want to fight so bad?" Natsuki pouted with curious caution.

"…" He considered his answer very carefully. "I'm not ready to tell you yet, but there are certain things that can _never_ be forgiven."

"…" Concerned, Natsuki thought to ask something she was fearful of.

"James…how did your stepfather die…?"

"He fought another man…and lost."

"…" Natsuki gulped fearfully. "Did you…seek revenge on that man?"

"Hmm. No. Sure I beat the shit out of him, but then I went to work for him."

"Eh?" Natsuki looked up in surprise, not expecting that.

"Actually." James retrieved the photo of thirteen people, pointing to a tall man in the middle, wearing a familiar black trench coat. "That's him right there."

Natsuki looked at the photo in surprise. "You're…a very strange boy. You weren't angry?"

"I…was upset. But it was a fair fight. He killed my stepfather, but I don't hold that against him, Thermidor was a good man."

Natsuki shook her head in surprise. She took a more critical look at James, wanting to tell him something. "Listen. Come sit over here." She patted the spot next to her.

Uncertain, James did as he was told, sitting next to her on the cot.

"You…" She began. "…are strange. You eat bland food, you keep strange company, you…suffered tragedy like me, and you saved me…so…thank you, for just being you."

"…" James gave her a small smile. He dropped it though when she leaned in for a hug. He would have been fine with that, except he could feel her fingers clutching at him greedily, passion in her intent, seeking more than a normal hug would achieve.

"Natsuki…" James stated flatly, but quietly.

"…Mmm."

"I told you yesterday, the answer is still no."

"…" Natsuki kept holding on.

"…" James sighed loudly. "I'm serious."

"…Just..." Natsuki began to plead. "Just promise me something. I know I'm not sweet like Sayori, or gorgeous like Monika, or…as well-endowed as Yuri, but please, promise me you'll at least consider it, because I seriously feel that way."

"…" James sighed more despondently. "A promise is a dangerous thing. I will say though…that I would say the same to everyone else."

"I don't think you should cut yourself off like that, you deserve to be happy too." Natsuki looked up at him hopefully. Concerningly.

"Just please respect my choices." _It's the only reason any of you are still alive_. It would be far too easy for him to lose control, take advantage, then being unable to stop. He couldn't take that risk.

"Alright." Natsuki reluctantly accepted. _But I'm still going to try to win you over_.

"…" James frowned at her, having heard that. Sure, she'd thought it, but considering he was the one with anti-psychic training, only his thoughts were safe from being carried over their connection.

A brain scan while she was unconscious had confirmed their worst fears. Her brain had just enough connections to be capable of _some_ passive psychic capabilities. Nothing that would ever be usable to her, but given the right genetic mixing, her descendants would likely be excellent Lynx.

The only way then to cut the link would be a careful lobotomy. But since they lacked certain equipment, finding the right nerve cluster would be impossible. At best, they would make her either forget math or uncontrollably shit herself, neither of which was considered an appropriate trade off for an ally.

Quietly, James was prepared to resign himself for the evening. His ally and friend who was far too interested in him, was now safe under his watch. So long as she didn't hurt herself, their connection wouldn't be overwhelmed, and she would not represent much of a threat to his combat capacity.

He was prepared for that but expected something else. Something he savored.

A job.

* * *

Hours Later

He knew it was coming. The succulent burning on his lips. A rising sense of control and comfort to ease himself behind the trigger of a gun. Expectantly, he picked up his phone after it rang only once.

"I'm listening."

" _The job is this. The Russian Mafia is moving a considerable shipment in through the docks later tonight. Stop them before they move it out of their warehouse by the docks. Additionally, we'd like you to assassinate their local crime boss who will be overseeing the shipment. Keep in mind they have a heavy-duty safe room. Do you have ordnance to breach that?_ "

"Yes. I have something in mind."

" _There's another thing. It's unconfirmed, but there are rumors of 'special operators' protecting the shipment and crime boss_."

"Thank you for the warning."

" _Considering the foreign threat involved here, police will be on standby. They've been ordered to wait one hour once the shooting starts, under the pretense that a 'special unit' will be doing the majority of the work. That is all_."

"I see. I'll get started right away."

Hanging up, James immediately collected several crates and loaded them into his truck, including his most recent project. Dressed in a heavy coat, he was carrying another long crate when a small, curious voice stopped him.

"James? Where are you going? It's already night." Natsuki asked concerningly. She had put on a skirt and socks for modesty's sake.

"I'm off to work."

"But…it's so late?"

"That's just how it is. Now excuse me."

"W-Wait!" She cried out but was ignored. She didn't know what James was up too, but there was an unfamiliar taste in her mouth. It burned with an unknown desire. Her back itched and ached with the need to move, to hunt, to…do something unspeakably violent.

* * *

One Hour Later

A bit of recon before his assault showed a small problem. The Russians were ahead of schedule, their trucks were nearly finished loading whatever shipment they were transporting. It _had_ a weapon that could stop trucks but was saving it for later. So, it decided to borrow a vehicle from the police.

Approaching the police line from the back, it noticed an armored truck with minimal personnel, the rear door slightly ajar. Approaching openly and confidently, no one questioned the trench coated operator who was wearing the same type of helmet as the SWAT team. Opening the rear door and moving swiftly, it knocked the officer in the back out by slamming his head into the side of the vehicle, with just enough force to concuss him.

"Hey, what's going on back there?" The officer sitting behind the wheel had turned to look back in time for hands to pick him up and body slam him into the floor, knocking him out as well. Picking up both officers, it set them down in an alley just behind the vehicle, before returning and stealing the armored van, putting it in reverse and around the corner.

Sitting behind the wheel, it stacked several bulletproof vests over itself and took one of it's MG3 machineguns to place on the dashboard. A few turns later and it was charging down the street at full speed. The pair of guards, realizing that a police armored van was charging straight at them, fired at him with AK's. It fired back through the glass, cutting them down. Once it was past the gate, it drifted the van to a stop, effectively wedging it into the only exit the trucks could have taken to leave.

Now that the whole dock knew it was there, the van began to take heavy fire from AKs, as eight men began to approach. Calmly, it retreated into the rear of the vehicle, taking cover and reloading it's machine gun. The eight guards split up, with four going to the rear doors and the other four covering the front. Their eyes glued on the only obvious exits, ready to gun down their attackers.

Naturally, Strayed said 'fuck that', and climbed out of the roof. The four in the back were quickly gunned down by twin light machineguns, having taken down two of them while it was jumping off the roof. It rounded to the front, easily taking down three more guards, then calmly raised it's gun to point behind, and took out the remaining guard without looking.

Quickly, it advanced on the main warehouse, both guns up, taking down anyone foolish enough to fire at it. It had spent years training to dual-wield heavy weapons accurately, so it was easy to take down five people from a distance. Entering the warehouse through a side door, it found itself in a tight corridor. Taking a turn into the warehouse proper…

 _Oww?_ Strayed thought as it ducked back into cover, then kept retreating to take cover behind a thick pillar as the wall was perforated with holes. That would be a DShK, a .50 caliber mounted machinegun. Taking a quick glance through one of the bullet holes in the wall, it could see the gunner, covered in heavy armor. He must have also had IR vision equipment because he immediately tried to hit Strayed through the wall again, forcing it back behind the pillar. It checked it's body armor, finding the chest plate had not survived the shot from the heavy gun, but had worked to slow it down enough that the bullet was flattened against it's hardened skin.

Since that entrance was well covered and it had lost it's chest armor, Strayed backtracked out of the warehouse to come at it from another angle…

Only to retreat again as a well-trained fireteam of four men just barely missed hitting it.

 _Alright then. These must be former Spetsnaz_. Thought Strayed as it considered it's options. It had been ambushed and surrounded with no effective escape. Cutting through the concrete walls would take just long enough that it would be shot in the back by the fireteam or the optics-assisted gunner in the warehouse. As well, Strayed suspected it would not as easily get the drop on these soldiers if it were to try and attack from above.

Strayed smiled contently. It had been a while since it had been in this tough of a challenge. The biggest problem was the gunner and his mounted gun. He had enough armor to make it so that he could not be killed in time before he got off plenty of shots to kill Strayed in return. Fortunately, it had the perfect weapon to deal with this situation.

Returning to the pillar, it set both of it's light machineguns down and unslung a heavily modified M1014 shotgun off it's back. At the moment, it was a perfectly normal shotgun, but that was about to change. It locked a cylinder of magnetic coils onto the barrel of the shotgun, adding another foot to it's length. Then, it loaded a specialized sabot Tungsten shell into the feed, working the slide to load it as it's next shot.

Taking one last look though one of the bullet holes to confirm the angle, then ducking it's head back to avoid the shots, Strayed completed one final step, loading a heavy custom battery into the stock of the gun. Pulling a pin out of the battery, it lined up the shot while aiming at the pillar. It's arm started to burn as the battery converted most of it's mass into electrical energy and heat, and it waited the last few seconds for a green light at the end of the gun to light up.

Strayed pulled the trigger and fired into the wall.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: Having a lot of fun with posting this story. Hope you enjoy and comment!


	12. Escalating the Violence

Several things happened at once. The first was that a shotgun was fired, but that wasn't anything new. What was different was the battery going through a violent chemical meltdown in the stock. It had been designed to pump several megajoules into the magnetic coils for at least several seconds. When the shotgun round passed out of the barrel and through the magnetic coils, it completed a circuit, and all that electrical energy was turned into kinetic energy, accelerating the Tungsten round to several times the speed of sound.

It's ears rung slightly from the sound-splitting projectile it had just fired from a handheld railgun, the recoil pushing it back nearly a foot. That would have shattered a human shoulder. It moved to eject the battery from the stock immediately, releasing a lock and stepping back, the battery collapsing into a pile of molten splatter on the floor. The magnetic coils on the front melted and shattered as well, with several pieces becoming imbedded in the wall in front of it. It's gun now safe from melting, it inspected the hole it had just bored through the pillar.

It could clearly see right through the pillar, with a narrow hole ringed with glowing and melted concrete. It rounded the previously dangerous corner to find the heavy machine gun pointed up, the gunner collapsed on the floor, decapitated. A burnt hole was also in the wall behind him.

One down, four to go.

Putting it's own guns away, it approached the mounted gun. Pulling a pin on the stand, it picked it up. It would have preferred to dual-wield with it, but the design of it's trigger meant it needed to use both hands. Turning around, it held the gun ready at it's hip, watching patiently as the first of the four enemies rounded the corner cautiously. Evidently not cautiously enough as Strayed held down the trigger, cutting the first man in half with large caliber rounds.

Two down, three to go.

At the sound of the HMG, the remaining three bravely rushed him, firing away. Several AK rounds found their way into it's chest; not ideal, but it's skin was more than tough enough to deal with the 7.62mm rounds. In return, it cut another specialist down with it's borrowed weapon.

Three, down to two.

Seeing as half a mag to the chest failed to put it down, the remaining Spetsnaz dropped their rifles and charged it from the flanks. Their combined mass managed to knock it down. Strayed dropped the HMG, having spent all it's ammo, and kicked off as it was knocked down, rolling over vertically, landing in a crouch a few feet away. The two men quickly recovered as well, drawing large, silver combat knives and holding them at the ready. Despite having lost three of their comrades to just one man, there was no fear in their eyes, no hesitation, no doubt.

 _Good_. Strayed smiled contently. Preferring to keep the pretense of a fair fight, it raised it's fists, unarmed but ready. Both enemies thrust forward with their blades, intent on driving them through it's neck. Strayed responded, blocking the blades with it's arms, then punching back, just hard enough to wind it's opponents. The two men then separated, such that one would be able to attack it from behind.

Preemptively, Strayed rushed first, attacking it's would-be-flanker with several powerful punches, knocking him to the ground for the moment. Drawing a knife, Strayed turned and thrust the blade into the chest of the other man as he tried to attack from behind. Even with a knife in his heart, the other man ignored his death sentence, attempting to jam his own blade into Strayed's neck, which failed to penetrate it's skin.

Strayed watched the man, as he came to accept his death. Even so, his eyes were filled with rage and resignation, as he looked over Strayed's shoulder at…

 _OWW?!_ Strayed thought as a thundering blow rung it's skull, momentarily stunning it. Stumbling away from the dying man, it turned in time to catch a sledgehammer to it's forehead, knocking it to the ground.

The final man stood above it, his face bloodied. He brought the sledgehammer high above his head.

"You killed my men. Now you die." He stated as he brought the hammer down.

 **That's fine. I can accept this**.

…

 _Wait what?_ James thought.

 _Umm? Fuck that?_ Strayed thought as well, as it threw it's body into the air with it's arms, it's head following behind and barely missing being struck again. With a knife still in it's hand it swung out, before rolling itself to land on its feet. It turned around.

The last Spetsnaz turned as well after striking the hammer into the ground. He held Strayed's gaze with an incredulous and surprised look, before his head rolled off and landed on the floor, separated from his body.

" _Who the fuck said that?_ " Strayed asked out loud in the room full of corpses.

 _I didn't say it_. James thought back.

"…" Strayed sighed. _Whatever. Fuck it._ It walked away to search for it's other objective, rubbing it's forehead where it had been hit. Arriving on the other side of the warehouse in a section set aside for offices, it found a suspicious looking vault built into a wall. A screen nearby lit up, showing the target and a guard inside the room.

" _Oh? You survived? Too bad. You won't be getting me. Hehe_."

Unfortunately for it's target, the screen also showed the door to the vault. Setting it's phone onto the X-Ray/Materials setting, it found a critical weak spot in the vault. Loading the shotgun with the second of three railgun conversions, it took aim and waited.

" _Hey! Look at this idiot! He's going to shoot the door with a shotgun! HA-HAHAHA_!"

The resounding thunderous shot forced Strayed back a foot, and caused the door to push slightly ajar. Dropping the battery out of the stock and forcing the vault open, it saw that the shot had lined up perfectly, decapitating the guard. The mob boss, who had covered his ears painfully, turned in surprise and slowly began to raise his high caliber handgun.

Strayed was quicker though. It's first shot with the shotgun, shooting regular shells, blew off the man's fingers that were holding the gun. He turned away in pain, clutching his ruined hand. The next two shots were directed at his kneecaps.

The mob boss rolled on the floor painfully. Groaning in agony, he turned his back on Strayed, reaching for his gun on the ground. Calmly, Strayed approached him, and taking aim, it slam-fired three shots rapidly, effectively cutting off the man's left arm at the elbow.

The mob boss opened his mouth in a silent scream, which ended in a pained hiss. He turned back, facing the trench coated mercenary, who was slowly reloading the shotgun while it was pointed up.

"Why…do you do this?"

"…"

"I can…pay you handsomely. To spare me?"

"…"

"More will come…if you kill me."

"…" Strayed shrugged. The ballistic mask prevented the mob boss from seeing the half smile it had. Lowering the gun, and without waiting for a reply, it slam-fired the entire tube, letting the recoil carry the gun up, from stomach to face. The damage nearly tore the mob boss in half, and sprayed the room bright red.

* * *

Next Morning

James came home by the time the sun was coming up. He'd spend the rest of the night picking bullets out of his chest. The few rounds he had taken hadn't penetrated more than a few millimeters, having been stopped by his thick skin and structural support grid. He wasn't bullet proof, merely highly bullet resistant.

Opening his door, he found Natsuki, barely lucid, sitting in his barren living room with a stack of manga ordered for her entertainment. At his entry, she forced herself to wake up with a tired and irritated expression.

"Where were you all night?" She grilled him for information.

"Working. Why are you down here? You should be taking it easy."

"I-couldn't sleep. You suddenly leaving like that…then I had weird pains in my chest, my head, and it felt like my arm was burnt. Not to mention that cot isn't very comfortable. Heck, your house isn't very comfortable. And your kitchen! There's _nothing_ there! Just those stupid water-food-bags. You don't even have a microwave!" She ranted for a moment.

 _Ah, oops_. He'd have to be more careful, seeing as she must have felt when he was injured when working. "Don't worry about the former. As for the later, would you not prefer then to move in with Sayori?"

"Ah-well…" She hesitated for a moment. "As nice as that sounds, I…would still like to stay here…with a few changes…"

"…" James sighed. "Alright then. Since I don't know much about homes, I'll set you up an account to just order everything you'll need to be more comfortable. However…"

"Mmm? What is it?"

"…I'm going to have to tell her you are living here. Otherwise she'll notice tomorrow and…question it."

"I see…well…I suppose I can talk to her later. She is my friend too, after all."

"Let me go first. She's not going to be happy with me." James announced with a despondent look of hesitation.

. . .

Seeing as showing up unannounced was the status quo with them, James entered Sayori's home, finding her pouring cereal for breakfast.

"Oh, good morning James." She smiled kindly.

"…" James sat across from her quietly, thinking how he'd tell her the news.

Sayori blissfully ate for another minute before she thought how odd James was being. "So, umm, what's up?"

"…Natsuki is going to be staying with me." James admitted flatly.

"…Oh…" Sayori replied in surprise, a growing sense of annoyance in the back of her head. "Why tell me though?"

"Well…either you would have found out about it tomorrow on the way to school, or I take the effort to deceive you. Except, that that would have been inconvenient, and inconsiderate."

"…Inconsiderate for her, or me?" Sayori narrowed her eyes at him.

"Yes."

"…" Sayori sighed. "It's just a little weird, you know?"

"How so?"

"Well, you know she likes you?"

"I'm well aware of that."

"Yet you said you don't want to be with her?"

"That's correct."

"But now you are going to be living with her?"

"Yes."

"…" Sayori turned her head at him in confusion. "Don't you think it's odd, a young boy and girl living together like that?"

"Only if you are a degenerate and indecent instigator, of which I am neither."

"…" Sayori shrugged. "So, why does Natsuki need to be living with you?"

"That's not my place to say. But she needed a place and I offered."

"Well…" Sayori paused in thought. "…I'm…happy…that you are trying to be a good friend." Sayori gave a smile. It wasn't dishonest…but it was hollow, insulted.

"…" While not her worst, James did not like seeing that look. "…Listen. Think of it like this: Now you have two friends close by to talk to."

"…" Slowly, Sayori thought about it. Her smile growing a little bit, finally appreciating the thought. "I guess you are right. It's a good thing then." A light knocking on the door caught their attention. "Come in!" Sayori called out.

"H-Hi?" Natsuki came in slowly, cautiously, her head down a little. She was wearing some regular clothes, having had all her bandages removed the previous evening.

"Ah Natsuki! Come here, come here!" Sayori called sweetly. At the invitation Natsuki approached and sat down next to her. "So I heard that you're going to be my neighbor too! That's great!"

"Mmm. I'm happy too." Natsuki smiled back honestly. "It's good to see you Sayori." She took her hand and squeezed it happily.

"Ah, I'm happy to see you too!" Sayori squeezed back.

Satisfied with what it was seeing, Strayed stepped away. Perhaps it was cruel, perhaps it was a lower form of mind control, but it was satisfied with the current outcome. It had changed a setting on one of Natsuki's augments, the Chemical Regulator, so that the thought or mention of Sayori would increase the percentage of dopamine released into her brain. That amount was only about one or two percent. Seeing her increased it to five-to-ten percent based on distance and spending time with her maxed out the release at fifteen percent.

It did not care about the consequences of such a change. In fact, it encouraged it. As much as James might appreciate both of them, they would only impede their work, what with their interest, connection, and distance. Keeping Natsuki occupied with Sayori should keep Sayori happy and Natsuki safe, and the Lynx free to complete it's business and projects uninterrupted.

* * *

She'd been hoping that having a good day hanging out with Sayori would have set her at ease, placating her fears. That going to sleep under James's roof would be peaceful and uneventful.

Instead, she came to in what was clearly a dream. A substantially real and physical dream, but absolutely a dream. She knew this, because while everything felt real, it was absolutely wrong. The walls tilted and slanted, and the roof loomed either miles or meters above. The colors were greyscale, pale and lifeless. There were people, walking aimlessly, far too stiffly, and with faces blank and devoid of all but the most basic detail. Their uncanny and lankly shapes and stiff shuffling were unsettling.

It looked like she was in a museum, or an art gallery. That is, if all the paintings and exhibits were filled with static. Noisy, muted, static; like that on a television. Looking into one painting for a time, the static grew to consume all the sound she could hear. The quiet cacophony grew in dreadful volume, consuming and corrupting, a chorus of chaos. In the static itself, she could see the flashes of faces, eyes wide, mouths agape, staring back, screaming into the static. Crying, begging, wailing, interrupted by flashes, like a camera shutter, or automatic weapons fire.

Her line of sight into the corrupting static was then interrupted by a pair of clawed hands.

" _Staring into the void too long would not be good for your health_."

Startled, Natsuki turned to find the familiar void of the creature she had met in a previous dream.

"Ah! Oh, um, hi Strayed." She waved awkwardly up at the clawed demon.

" _Natsuki._ " It nodded in return.

"So…? Where are we now? This place feels…incomplete?"

" _To be honest…I don't know_." It turned to look around. " _It has to be a memory, but not one that I can remember…wait…_ " It pointed up then at a group of three. " _I think…I remember her…_ "

Natsuki looked over at what it had pointed at. Two little boys and an old woman, still in grayscale, but much more detailed. They moved naturally, save for moments where they jumped forward, like a frame was missing. One of the boys was light haired, the other dark haired and familiar. The old woman, leading them both by the hand, walked proudly, confidently. Her hair was silver white, but still styled like a young woman. Her eyes, though muted by the lack of a color, were strong and focused, bright and lively.

"Well, they are the only ones here who look real, we should follow them." Natsuki suggested curiously. She couldn't see it moving behind her, but she could tell that Strayed stayed close, it's heavy and dark presence following calmly and patiently.

Eventually, the group of three they followed went outside. Much like the inside, the outside lacked important details. Buildings were blank, without focus, identical. The sky sat still with blank overcast, giving passive light. The three turned into an alley, still with the woman leading the way. Suddenly, from behind a corner in the alley, a hooded boy, not much older than a high schooler, stepped out quickly, intercepting the old woman.

"[!]" He appeared to shout something as he pulled out a handgun, pointing it up at the old woman. However, he ignored Natsuki and Strayed, being just a broken memory.

"Oh no!" Natsuki gasped. Calmly, she felt a claw settle on her shoulder, moving her forward until they were beside the standoff, able to see the scared looks on the little boys, the nervous but threating violence in the teenager's eyes…

And the calm serenity in the old woman.

"[?]" The old woman questioned, her head turning slightly.

"[!]" The teenager threatened again.

"I-I don't want to see her get shot!" Natsuki exclaimed unhappily.

" _Quiet. Wait_." Strayed ordered her calmly, curiously.

"[!]" The teenager shouted again, shuffling slightly, re-aiming the gun between the old woman's eyes.

"[…]" The old woman responded calmly; her hands letting go of the little boys. One hand pulled a purse off her shoulder, while the other was raised non-threateningly. She held the purse out for the armed teenager to take.

Taking his other hand out of his pocket, the teenager held out his hand to take the purse…only for the old woman to let go of it before it he could grab it.

In a moment, the quiet and colorless scene exploded with color, sound, and detail. The background of a bustling city could be heard in the distance. The walls of the alley became layered with grimy brick. The sun set low on the horizon, basking the sky in brilliant red light.

Before the purse had hit the ground, the old woman, whose eyes shined with blazing and lively orange irises, moved swiftly. Both hands slamming forward on the teenager's wrist, squeezing tightly, forcing the hand up with an audible snap.

"AAAAAHHHHH-" The teenager screamed, the gun going off in his hand, deafening the world. The old woman's head snapped sideways, blood pouring from a fresh wound on her cheek.

Without pause, she dropped her left hand, bringing it down and back, before slamming it forward into the teenager's elbow. The arm instantly bent backward, bone jutting out, spraying the old woman with yet more crimson fluid.

"AAAAHHHOOOOOO!" The teenager screamed horribly, eyes widened with fear and agony. Releasing her grip on the teenager's arm, the old woman stepped behind him, forcing him to his knees with a quick kick to the back of his legs. Pulling his hood back, she snaked one hand down to his chin, the other sliding her fingers through his dark hair.

Grasping both firmly, she suddenly pulled, twisting his head round backwards with a sickening snap. His loud wailing ceasing, his corpse falling to the pavement as the old woman let go. Blood sprayed and spilled on her face, eyes narrowed cruelly, a wide, satisfied smile gracing her features.

The image then split and paused, losing color and sound and movement. Two little boys, fearfully watching curiously. The old woman, cruelly standing victorious and strong; and a fresh, mutilated corpse at her feet.

"…" Natsuki grit her teeth fearfully, eyeing the old woman's hungry and violent visage. Strayed approached slowly, it's claws raised, affectionately cupping the cheeks of the old woman.

" _I thought it might be…but…I did not think I would see her again_."

"W-Who is she?"

" _She was, and is, someone to be revered, honored, remembered_." It turned then, and Natsuki got the distinct impression that it was smiling contently. " _She is the Last Raven. My grandmother_."

Before she woke up, Natsuki could have sworn the Last Raven met her gaze…

And winked.

* * *

School / Break time – Monday

School was always such a bore. Natsuki only liked two people in the whole school, and welcomingly tolerated two more. Everyone else was so full of themselves. Not to mention that learning was always such a chore.

Oddly though, her math class had been unusually easy that morning. Normally she just got by in math with a high C on her grades. This morning she'd already finished the homework before leaving as she was _compelled_ to answer every question correctly, even skipping steps to get the right answer.

Having more free time than usual now, she sought to find Sayori. She wasn't sure why Sayori was the first person she wanted to see, but it made her happy, thinking about the girl with the red bow in her hair.

And since she didn't have to hide her manga at home anymore, she could openly carry it to school, giving her something to do in her free time.

"Hey! Rat-suki!"

Or, at least no one who mattered would bother her about it. She turned to see Rin, a dark-haired bitch of a girl from the cheerleading squad, marching over menacingly. Her skirt riding up a few inches too high to be acceptable but getting away with it as anyone who would complain liked the sight too much to correct it. _Eww_.

"…" Natsuki glared at the taller girl.

"I see you got your kiddie books back." She gestured down, before slapping the books she was carrying down to the floor. " _Opps_." She hissed sarcastically.

"…" Angered but not wanting to get into a fight if she could avoid it, Natsuki got down to get her books back. While she was down though, Rin decided it would be fun to pull on one of her pony-tails.

"And you still got your hair like this, what a fucking child!" Rin mocked while Natsuki cringed painfully.

**/HOSTILE DETECTED**

**/COMBAT AI ONLINE**

**/COMBAT MODE ENGAGED**

**/COMMENCING HOSTILITIES**

Without thinking about it, Natsuki's fist sung upward into Rin's chin, putting her entire body behind the punch. Rin was stunned, and let go, stumbling back for a moment.

"AH! What! Err! You bitch!" Rin shouted. She reached out threateningly, only for Natsuki to turn around, her right leg suddenly swinging high up in a reverse round-house kick aimed straight for Rin's head. Rin's head bounced off a locker, stunning her again. She collapsed to her knees.

Calmly, Natsuki grabbed Rin by the shoulders, then began to repeatedly kick the taller girl in the chest with her knee. Over. And. Over. Again.

"Wai-ples-sto-Khu!" Rin managed to choke out, feebly putting her arms up to try and resist. Internally, Natsuki was shocked, mortified that her body was acting on it's own accord, striking and dealing pain to someone without mercy.

Externally, Natsuki appeared calm and relaxed. Even when she grabbed Rin by the hair and slammed her head into the locker, making the taller girl collapse on the floor.

"What the FUCK! Rin! You little fucking bitch! You are so dead!" Called out Rin's boyfriend, Haruto, a big tough guy on the football team. With ill intent, he rushed over, grabbed Natsuki by the throat, and lifted her up.

"Khu, ack!" Natsuki gasped.

**/ESCALATION DETECTED**

**/COMBAT EFFICIENCY RAISED TO 20%**

Locking eyes with her attacker, Natsuki calmly raised her legs, wrapping them around the larger boy's neck, and began to squeeze. Simultaneously, she grabbed the hand choking her and pulled it taunt, threatening to pull the arm out of it's socket.

Realizing this, Haruto pulled back from the wall, turning to slam Natsuki's head into the locker while she hung off his arm. Momentarily stunned, but not nearly as injured as she imagined, Natsuki managed to fall off his arm. She thought she would hit the floor.

Instead, her feet rushed down to the floor first, catching her in an awkward stance with her head back and hips forward. Her head then swung forward, headbutting Haruto in the nose.

"Ack! What the fuck!" Haruto screamed at her, holding his bloodied nose. "You aren't going to win this! Just give up!"

Natsuki wanted to believe him, seeing as he was much taller and more than twice her weight, but she couldn't say anything. Her body lowered with a wide stance, her arms apart and partially raised.

"Fuck! You!" Haruto shouted as he threw a powerful punch toward her head. In response, Natsuki dropped low, down to her knees, her fist rising like she had hit Rin before, except…she wasn't aiming for his chin.

Instead, her fist, supported by her legs and back, was aimed squarely between his legs. The force behind her punch lifting the larger boy off the ground for a moment.

"HHHHHHIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII!" Haruto shouted in a very high-pitched voice, retracting both arms to hold himself after Natsuki had backed up. More brutal than she would have liked, but at least the fight was over.

Except, that her body kept moving, without her doing so. She rounded behind Haruto, grabbing him from the back of the head, and started to slam his head into the locker repeatedly. He tried to put an arm up to keep his head away from the locker, but Natsuki just grabbed that arm, and forced it behind his back, giving his head another good two or three dozen beatings into the wall.

"N-Natsuki!?"

Natsuki turned at the familiar voice, seeing Yuri there, looking on terrified. For a brief moment, Natsuki felt her neutral gaze assessing and sizing up her friend. Then, for the first time in several minutes, she felt in control of herself, and flinched backwards, letting go of the boy in her grasp.

**/HOSTILES NEUTRALIZED**

**/DISENGAGING COMBAT MODE**

**/COMBAT AI ON STANDBY**

"Y-Y-Yuri." Natsuki fearfully stuttered out, shakily backing up from the two badly beaten students. Her shaking hands nervously curled at her chest. "I-I-I don't know…how…"

Yuri for her part, at the very least, didn't run away. A small part of her was shameful that that was, partially, at the sight of blood on the two students on the floor, and on Natsuki as well. Another part convincing herself that while Natsuki had been barbarically brutal, she was still a friend, and that it would be wrong to run away now.

Even if the cold, calculated, and focused gaze she had while ruthlessly smashing that boy's head into a locker was terrifying beyond imagination.

. . .

She was never going to get away with brutally beating two popular and athletic students in a hallway, even as unlikely as it was that she somehow succeeded. Relegating herself to her fate, Natsuki nervously clutched her skirt as she avoided the principal's furious gaze.

She had been offered an icepack beforehand, but she declined. She didn't feel any pain, so she didn't understand why someone had given that to her.

"You understand the consequences for your actions, don't you?" The principal, a middle-aged man, sternly asked her.

"…" Quietly she nodded. She still didn't know _how_ she had beaten two students; she would have rather avoided that. But she also didn't bother trying to argue the fact that it had happened with the excuse of "my body did it on its own."

"I've already called your parents, and your father said he would be here shortly to discuss your punishment."

 _Oh no_. Natsuki paled at the thought. She had just gotten away from that _monster_ , and already she fell back into his grasp. She could hear the sound of heavy male feet entering the office, followed shortly by a knock on the door. She shivered fearfully.

"Come in." The principal called. "Thank you for coming on such short notice…wait a second." The principal's face scrunched up in confusion. "You're a student here."

Natsuki turned at this statement, finding James there, looking down at himself and shrugging, as though he was checking that he was, in fact, a student.

"Yes, I appear to be."

"But…I called her father to come here?"

"Well, I never said I was her father, but I am her legal guardian."

"Wha-" Natsuki began to question before James approached from behind and calmly placed his hands on her shoulders. The idea of " _Shut the fuck up and let me talk_ " was suddenly thrust into her mind.

"That's…highly unusual but very well. And you are?"

"Klein. James Klein."

"Are you aware of the consequences for her actions, Mr. Klein?"

"Mmm, that wasn't very clear. Please enlighten me."

"Very well. As it stands, we'll have to suspend Natsuki for her actions, she brutally attacked two students for no reason, and beat them severely."

Natsuki bowed her head shamefully, trying to make herself less noticeable in that little room.

"I see. I agree with you that she was in a fight, but I heard a very different story. I heard that Natsuki was defending herself after she was being assaulted." James calmly argued. Natsuki turned slightly at the comment. Why was he trying to protect her?

"That-would be very unlikely, considering she very clearly won that fight. I don't see how she could have won unless she attacked first."

"Perhaps she's simply a superior fighter."

"Well, in either case, she went too far, and needs to be punished."

"Yes, I understand. That's why I am here to negotiate."

Natsuki looked up at James puzzled.

"There…isn't anything to negotiate for."

"There is always…" James pulled a yellow envelope out of his jacket, placing it on the principal's desk. "…negotiations that can be made."

"…" The principal looked at the envelope dumbfoundedly for a moment. "Are you trying to bribe me, Mr. Klein?" Natsuki opened her mouth in quiet shock.

"What? No of course not." James playfully dismissed. "I'm simply negotiating."

"Well…it's not going to work. I'll ignore what you just tried to do, but understand you cannot sweep her actions away like that."

"Ah, I see, very well." James calmly approached the principal's desk, sitting one hip on the desk as he leaned over and picked up a picture frame that was facing towards the principal.

"You have a very lovely family. Does your wife Noriko know about the affair?"

"W-What?"

"The affair. That you've been having with the secretary back there." James pointed his thumb back, at the door.

"…" The principal glared at James, who smiled calmly.

"Now, about these _negotiations_?" James slid the yellow envelope across the desk. With heavy-handed reluctance, the principal took it.

"There is no problem. You two are free to go." The principal stated unhappily with a glare.

James shrugged. Turning and standing, he grabbed Natsuki's hand and led her out to the hallway. School had just ended several minutes before, so the hallways were clear.

"I-I'm…sorry…" Natsuki mumbled quietly.

"Mmm? Whatever for?"

"For…making you go through all that effort. You didn't have to do that."

"Of course I did. You're a club member. It was only reasonable I look out for you."

"…" Natsuki looked up at him a little confused, but with more endearment. "Still, I'm sorry I got into the fight at all. I didn't mean to-"

"Listen." James cut her off. "There's only one thing I care about. Did you win the fight?"

"Uhh…yeah? I-"

"Ch!" James hissed to shut her up. "Good, you did right then."

"…" Natsuki looked more confused by him again.

"Now, why don't you clean up? Someone will help you with that." James pointed behind her. She turned to see Monika sitting on a bench outside the school offices, waiting patiently with a hair of nervous apprehension in her expression.

"Uh…hi Monika." Natsuki waved awkwardly.

"Hi…" Monika uttered back quietly. She stood, walking over to put a comforting hand on her back as James stepped away.

"I'll see you both in the club room." James announced as he left calmly. Monika then began to lead Natsuki in the other direction down the hall. Turning to look at her, she could see Monika with a down casted and serious look on her face. She led her to a bathroom, where Natsuki finally got a good look at herself.

Streaks of dried blood, not her own, stained her forehead and nose. A large, nasty bruise covered the side of her head, with a little bit of blood leaking though that. She hadn't even noticed that one of her ponytails had it's headband pulled off, leaving a shorter clump of hair off the side of her head. Taking an extra headband from her wrist, she corrected the mistake and fixed her hair.

Meanwhile Monika used the sink to wet a handkerchief, then turned to Natsuki and began to clean her face.

"Nn-" Natsuki began to raise her voice in protest to what Monika was doing but stopped. Monika looked so serious, yet so empty, haunted even. The usually confident and outgoing girl with a shining personality was gone. A shell that just lived was here.

Still, the noise Natsuki had made caused Monika to pause, her eyes going wide.

"S-Sorry! Did that hurt! I'm so sorry!" Monika pleaded strongly.

"N-No, I feel…fine…it doesn't hurt at all." Natsuki paused in thought for a moment. The bruise looked fairly serious, she should know, but it oddly didn't hurt at all. But then something else came to her mind. "What about you? You don't seem…alright?" Natsuki questioned her.

"What? No, I'm perfectly-" Monika caught herself. She turned away, a nervous and regretful look on her.

"…Is it because of…me?" Natsuki asked reluctantly.

"No! No it's not that. You're right Natsuki, I'm…not alright." Monika admitted.

"…Why?"

"…" Monika sighed. "I…hurt someone. I knew what I was doing was wrong, but I still did it."

"Why don't you just apologize to them?" Natsuki suggested.

"…" Monika cringed, looking down to avoid her gaze. "Because…what I did is unforgiveable. And…they haven't ever mentioned it, so I don't want to bring it up."

"So…what's the problem? It seems like they've already forgiven you then."

"Well…maybe they have…but…"

"…Someone else knows what you did."

"…" Monika quietly nodded in confirmation.

"…" Natsuki gave it a bit more thought. "It was James who found out, wasn't it?"

"…" Again, Monika nodded.

"Is he blackmailing you?"

"N-No. But…he is holding me to a higher standard now. Just that I can't hurt anyone and that I be a good president."

"…Huh. Well…then I think you got off pretty easy."

"Hehe." Monika gave a nervous chuckle. "Yeah, I think you are right about that."

. . .

Entering the club room was uncomfortable. The air was stiff and quiet. James was on one side, calmly explaining something to a worried and frantic Sayori. Yuri had a book, but was watching and listening to the other two instead of reading.

At Natsuki and Monika's entrance, Sayori rushed to Natsuki, bringing her into a hug.

"Are you alright! I've been so worried about you!"

"Ah." Natsuki sighed contently. "I'm alright. Thanks for worrying about me though." Her bruises had been covered up with makeup. Not the first time she had to do that, but it was the first time she got help for it.

James walked to the door, letting the two shorter girls pass. He turned to Monika, his arms crossed as he leaned on the door frame.

"…" He turned his head and gave a slight nod. Simultaneously a question and a thank you.

"…I…I did what you asked me. What is it…?" Monika nervously addressed him.

"…" James cocked his head the other way, eyebrow raised.

"I-I'm sorry. I should have jumped at the opportunity to help my club member. You're right."

"…"

"That's it isn't it? You didn't want anything else."

"…" James's eyes looked up in mock thought, before he nodded at her.

"…" Monika looked down, one arm holding the other. "Do-"

James had already turned and walked away. He went to stand behind Sayori, giving her a comforting hand on her shoulder as she and Yuri listened to Natsuki tell them about her day.

Monika looked on longingly. Yuri was her friend, but it was like pulling teeth trying to talk to her. Natsuki was her friend, but sometimes she would say something or need to move her things, and Natsuki would snap and accuse her of this or that. Sayori was probably her best friend…but…what she said to her, could never be taken back.

And then there was James. Words did not begin to describe the contradiction that was James Klein. She was still enraptured by his handsome physique, which only grew to hurt now that she knew he only respected her and was not interested. Watching him, she came to understand that every action and word of his was of deliberate patience and barely contained violence. Cool and calm, yet hyper aware. Charitable and cruel, often at the same time.

Most of all, she noticed how the fun club she had started with a good friend had left her by the wayside, lingering cautiously.

* * *

Club / Friday

Though odd, the request recently handed to her presented an opportunity and excuse she had not had the chance to ever act upon.

"Okay everyone! That's it for today. I'll see you all Monday! James? Can you stay a bit longer today?" Monika announced at the end of the club meeting.

James looked back in mild surprise. Looking down and away, he turned to Sayori, giving her a slight nod and smile. She returned the gesture, walking close to Natsuki on the way out.

That was something Monika had passively noted, that those two were spending more time together. It was also something she quickly dismissed.

James came to finally stand before Monika as the club emptied to just the two of them.

"I got a request from the Student Council. They needed me and another student to move some things around. Can I count on you to help?"

"Certainly." James answered calmly.

. . .

Arriving at a storage room, a pallet, piled with fifty bags of road salt, sat obstructing the walkway.

"The school uses this salt to clear the parking lot and part of the road of snow in the winter. We need to move it into this storage room. Easy enough?" Monika gestured to the pallet, smiling.

"Alright."

Monika nodded, turning to grab a fifty-pound bag. "N-Now! Don't strain yourself getting these!" Monika grunted in exertion. The bag was not too heavy for her, but simply difficult to grasp. "These things can get-pretty! Heavy!" She set her bag down on a shelf. "Think you can handle that-EEP!"

James had been right behind her, casually lifting one bag to the shelf, with another eleven on the ground beside him, that had somehow gotten there in the few seconds she had been turned around.

Her breath hitched slightly. She could only imagine him using that strength on her, for better or worse. But that also meant they would be done very shortly.

During James's third trip, Monika realized they would be done when he returned. Looking at the bag she picked up, she realized she needed to do something drastic and cliché to force a situation. Perhaps a little stupid as well.

Just as James was about to pass her, she acted. Tripping herself up, she fell forward into him, hoping that he would be courteous enough to risk catching her and hopefully land on him in such a way as to imply what she found difficult to say to him.

While James would, of course, catch her, it was not in any way to her emotional benefit. He turned, one arm reaching to take the bag of salt from her. His other arm, catching her gracelessly and stiffly at her stomach. Her view directed at the floor, she failed to see his eyes roll in annoyance. With both the bag and Monika secure, James forced Monika to stand, lightly throwing her off his arm, before walking back outside with her bag and collecting the last of the bags in both arms. Monika stepped aside, disappointed, but not quite ready to give up just yet.

With the job finished in record time, Monika stood to get James's attention as well as she could.

"Wow, thank you so much James!" She lightly cheered. "You know, we finished so fast that we could…spend some time together?" She pushed a strand of hair back while arching her back, wearing a nervous but wanting smile.

"…is that so?" He asked calmly. He looked to the side in thought.

"Yeah. It's just you and me right now. I was hoping we could…get to know each other… _better_."

"…" James turned his head cautiously, assessing her, gauging her. He bowed his head in thought for a moment, before taking a slow and careful step towards her. Another step, and he was right in front of her, still looking down at the floor. He turned slightly in her direction, and she reciprocated by leaning her head away, exposing her neck.

She thought her heart was going to stop when he brought his face forward into her neck, lips sliding along her skin, his nose folding her ear forward. It was exciting, entrancing, the closeness and distance between them. His hot breath on her face. And then he whispered…

"There's something wrong here, that you haven't noticed yet." He stepped away, circling back around, a casual distance away, his expression serious and unamused.

"W-What?" Monika questioned, confused and disappointed at being led on.

"What exactly did the Student Council tell you?" James inquired.

"They…said 'You and one other club member' to move the salt. Why?"

"Let's pretend for a minute you don't have feelings for me." James explained. Monika cringed at how exposed her heart was to him, playing with her cruelly. "In that instance, would you have chosen any of the other girls to help you move that?"

"No…not if you were available."

"And who would they have picked instead to move it, usually?"

"Members of the football team. But…maybe they are just busy this time. Things like that happen, you know?"

"They asked you, knowing full well you were going to pick me."

"But…why?" Monika asked, still confused at where this was leading.

"Don't think of it as 'where I am now', but as 'where am I not'."

"…" Monika thought for a moment, confused but making conclusions. "You're not…with them now…but…" Then, a strange but possible answer came to her mind. "No. That's…that's pretty extreme. They wouldn't go through all that effort-"

"Look at what you did to your own friend for less. Can you imagine what they'll do to your friends for what happened Monday?"

Monika grit her teeth. She was still upset that James would play with her, leading her on only to deny her. What he was implying though…was also quite distressing. Terrifying in its own way.

"Kh!" Monika hissed. "Go! Make sure they are alright! Go on!"

"…" James smiled honestly, bowing his head slightly. Acknowledgement and respect. Hastily he left, leaving Monika to fume. She couldn't forgive herself for hurting Sayori. But if someone else laid a hand on her and Natsuki…she damned the possibility. Prayed that James was wrong and just messing with her again. Because otherwise…

* * *

Ten Minutes Later

Though missing James, Sayori and Natsuki happily skipped home together. Spending almost every day together now had rapidly elevated each other to be the best of friends. And with the weekend coming up, they were certain to have even more fun.

Their merry trek was suddenly brought to a halt when a truck full of semi-familiar boys from their high school suddenly pulled up beside them, beginning to dislodge all six of it's occupants. Startled, Natsuki instinctively took Sayori's hand, forcing her behind herself as their exit routes were cut off.

"Well well well, look what we have here." The driver said as he came around.

"L-Listen, we don't want any trouble." Sayori pleaded behind Natsuki. Natsuki anxiously grit her teeth, certain that things would not go well.

"Maybe your friend there should have thought about that before she ambushed our teammate." A second boy commented.

"Right, separate them, I have a great idea." The driver ordered. In quick order three boys stepped forward, two grabbing Sayori by her arms and one pinning Natsuki's arms.

"Please! It doesn't have to be like this!" Sayori begged more desperately. However, she was ignored.

"I bet you liked hurting our friend huh? Well how about you watch while we hurt your friend before we get to you?" The driver turned then, rearing his fist back.

"No! NO!" Natsuki pleaded. She watched horrified as the fist, carried by the full force of the much larger boy impacted with Sayori's stomach, forcing a pained squealing yelp out of her as her eyes went wide, while her head dropped in pain.

Then everything went absolutely wrong.

**/MULTIPLE ENEMIES DETECTED**

**/ALLIED IFF IN COMBAT**

**/COMBAT AI ONLINE**

**/COMBAT MODE ENGAGED**

**/COMBAT EFFICIENCY RAISED TO 60%**

**/COMMENCING HOSTILITIES**

Natsuki could only feel rage and purpose. They would suffer and she would ensure it.

Across from her, Sayori trembled in her captor's grasp, hands curling into fists. A low, heavy growl began in her throat. As she stood, eyes widened with primal hunger, her growl was released in a howling war cry. Twisting her arms to force her captors to bare her weight, she kicked both feet at her assailant's face, forcing him to stumble backward several meters.

Simultaneously, Natsuki raised both her feet, quickly delivering a backwards kick at her captor's shin, earning her freedom. She rolled forward as she dropped, using her hands to leap legs first at Sayori's left captor, giving him a double foot kick to the chest with her entire body.

Sayori's left arm free, she forced her right arm forward, making the boy holding that arm stumble forward, confused at the last few seconds. Sayori's left fist buried itself in his nose. Once. Twice. Three times. The boy responded by raising his right fist to strike.

Natsuki meanwhile caught herself, dashing in front of Sayori. She grabbed the right arm of the boy holding Sayori as it was speeding into a punch, forcing it down and behind his back. Raising a foot and placing it on his back, she kept pulling, forcing the arm to dislocate.

The boy cried out and fell. As he did, Natsuki and Sayori's eyes met. The Combat A.I. in Natsuki and the neurological combat response in Sayori recognized each other as allies. They both turned away from each other, lowering themselves with arms apart, ready to attack.

"W-What the fuck?! Get them!" The driver shouted as he recovered, forcing his four remaining friends into action. They were far too clumsy to react properly as both girls rushed the other two boys who hadn't engaged them yet. Natsuki's opponent threw a sloppy, right-handed punch, which she easily pushed off to his left. Punching him in the side of the head with her left fist, she stepped around him, hooking her right leg behind his right leg, then pushing him backwards with her right hand. As such, he was tripped backwards and knocked out.

Sayori as well, redirected a sloppy right punch from her opponent, but instead of hitting him back, she grabbed his right arm mid-punch, rushed past him, turning as she did, so that the boy spun around her. Placing a hand on his chest, she slammed him backwards into the truck, then punched him in the side of the face with her right, knocking him out as well.

Turning on Natsuki's former captor, Natsuki rushed, feinting movement right she succeeded in forcing the boy to punch right, then leapt left to drive her right foot into the boy's left knee, forcing him to fall on that leg. Sayori then grabbed Natsuki from behind, using her as support to kick both legs into his face, knocking him unconscious.

Sayori twisted in mid-air, coming to land in front of Natsuki while she stood still, baiting the second to last boy. Sayori signaled right, causing Natsuki to shift left, dodging a fist by inches. Grabbing the arm over her shoulder, she pulled forward, flinging the boy over her back and onto the ground in front of her. Sayori then rushed in, body slamming the boy on the ground while Natsuki twisted his wrist, breaking it.

Sayori leapt upward, pulling Natsuki away as a metal baseball bat filled the space she had been standing in moments before.

"You fucking bitches! I'll kill you!" The driver shouted, swinging his weapon wildly.

The girls exchanged a brief glace to each other. Natsuki lightly tapped her fists together, before tapping herself once. Sayori understood the signal, backing away but at the ready.

Natsuki rushed forward, feinting a punch. Instead, she held back for a moment as the last boy swung wildly from his right, the bat ending up all the way to his left. Then Natsuki leaped forward, punching him square on his right elbow, forcing that hand to release in pain. In retaliation, he swung with his left arm downward. Natsuki crossed her arms and tanked the hit, moving closer to catch the bat closer to it's base, where there would be less force. After his second swing, Sayori jumped forward, punching his left elbow with the same results as before.

Unarmed and unable to use his arms, the boy was defenseless as each girl kicked him in the knees, then punched him in each temple, nearly knocking him out, but making him fall over.

**/HOSTILES NEUTRALIZED**

**/DISENGAGING COMBAT MODE**

**/COMBAT AI ON STANDBY**

Natsuki thought they were done. Though distressed, she relaxed as she regained control of her own body. Sayori did not have the same idea. Relentlessly, she began to kick the boy while he was down.

"S-Sayori! It's over! Stop!" Natsuki shouted while she wrapped her arms around Sayori from behind. Sayori flinched, and for a brief moment, Natsuki thought she would hit her. Instead, Sayori melted into the embrace, savoring it's comfort while her hands clamped over her mouth and her uncontrolled sobbing commenced.

Natsuki grit her teeth in confused frustration. She didn't know how or why they had won that fight, only that they did and were safe now. She turned Sayori around, allowing her friend to return the embrace.

"Come on. Let's get out of here." She held Sayori close as she led her away, onward to home.

A few moments later, James rounded the corner, having watched the whole thing. He wanted to assess both girls combat capabilities. He was mildly surprised that the different approaches to combat, the Combat A.I. and the neurological response, had worked so well together. All in all, he was very satisfied.

Walking over to the driver who had instigated the fight, he set a six-pack of beer on the ground. That was the only useful thing about being a foreigner, no one knew when he was too young to buy restricted products.

"Are you alright there?" He asked the boy on the ground.

"Uuunnn…" The driver moaned painfully. "Yeah, uh, can I get a hand?"

"Sure thing buddy." James reached out his hand, pulling the driver up to a sitting position.

"Thank's ma-" The driver cut himself off when he realized who helped him. "It's…you…"

"Mmm." James hummed, wide smile on his face. He lowered himself down to the boy's level. "I see you met my friends there. Good show too." He slowly tightened his grip on the hand.

"Y-You're supposed to be busy with the bimbo? The job should have taken you both an hour?"

"Mmm...guess again." James cocked his head sweetly. He gripped tighter.

"M-My hand! You're going to break my hand!" The boy pleaded.

"Oh, that's not all I'm willing to do." James beamed happily as he pulled out a knife, rearing to jam it up the boy's nose. "See, you went after my friends. I'm obligated to break every bone in your body _and then worse_."

"Shit! I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" He begged desperately.

"Now then, unless you want to be mailed home in a shoe box, here's what happened. You and your friends got shitfaced and beat the fuck out of each other."

"W-Wait what?"

James thrust the knife forward, cutting a lock of hair, which fell on the boy's face.

"M-M-Me and my f-f-friends got s-shitfaced and b-beat the f-fuck out of each other!"

With a smile and a shrug, James let go, the boy falling onto his back. He picked up the baseball bat. "Good, now, any of you deviate from that story, and I will shove you. Up. Their. Ass." The baseball bat was then folded and crushed into an oddly shaped ball, that James dropped close to the boy's head. "Have a nice day."

* * *

Ten Minutes Later

The sound of Sayori's quiet sobbing just about broke Natsuki's heart. She didn't like hearing her friend so unhappy. Having made their way back to Sayori's house, they stood around in her kitchen while Natsuki held an icepack to the other girl's stomach, using her other hand to rub circles into her back.

"It's okay Sayori. It's over now, we're safe."

"Y-You don't get it Natsuki! I don't like fighting! I don't! I really don't!"

"Hey! It's okay, I believe you."

"No, you don't get it! I don't like to fight. But now, any time I feel down, I don't get sad anymore, I get angry. And then I jump and fight and-and-and I hurt someone. I'm scared Natsuki." She cried into the shorter girl's shoulder. "I'm scared that I'll hurt someone I really care about."

"…" Natsuki tiredly rested her head on Sayori. "I…kinda know the feeling. Sometimes I lose control, and fight…and…hurt someone, more than I ever wanted too."

"Y-You're scared of yourself too?" Sayori looked down in concern for one of her closest friends.

"…" Natsuki nodded. She then felt comforting fingers running through her hair. In response, she wrapped both arms around Sayori, pulling her closer.

"Hehehe." Sayori giggled between her sobs. "You are so cute."

"Nnnn." Natsuki gave something between a mumble and a groan. Looking up, she found Sayori's deep and captivating blue eyes. Sayori herself found Natsuki's bright, soft pink eyes. They held their shared gaze, held each other captive with it, thinking about-

With his usual lack of decorum, James casually invaded Sayori's home, seeing her and Natsuki in the kitchen. In response to the sudden intrusion, they each leapt backwards and looked cautiously at the open door. Finding only James, they let out a held breath. Then Natsuki pouted unamused while Sayori forced another crying session.

"Ahhhh James it was terrible!" She cried out.

"Yeah, saw your work coming up. Good job you two." He congratulated them happily.

"Nooo! You big dummy! It was awful!" Sayori exclaimed.

"…" James cocked his head in confusion, looking to Natsuki for an answer. Instead, he got an accusing pout that seemed to imply "you are not helping at all".

"…How about a pizza? To cheer you up?"

"…" Sayori continued to sob.

"Sayo-"

"Four!"

"What?"

"I. Want. Four pizzas!" Sayori cried out.

"…Eh, alright. Whatever makes you happy." James agreed while Natsuki squinted her eyes at him questionably. In return he cocked his head and shrugged dismissively.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: So glad to be putting out another chapter of this story you all like so much. I hope you have enjoyed it as much as I enjoy writing it.


	13. Brought Low

After School / Monday

Monika was pissed. Her correspondence with James over the weekend had confirmed her worst fears, that several "someones" had gone after Natsuki and Sayori. Even though he assured her that those two were fine and not to bring up the incident, it still confirmed to her that more people were involved. Ever since James had confronted her about what she said to Sayori, she had been taking her role much more seriously, to be more protective of her members. Though extremely stressful, it meant that James would look at her pleasantly pleased instead of quietly knowingly.

So strange that he often spoke little, while openly expressing himself with actions and gestures.

In any event, the next school day coincided with a scheduled Student Council meeting. Comprising of the Presidents of each club as well as several elected members, it was all a strangely contrived popularity contest that Monika detested participating in. At first it had simply been irritating hoop jumping to start her own club. But the more she thought about it, the more she realized the level of corruption and smearing going on, motivated either "politically", such as getting and maintain a seat on the Student Council, to downright intimidation.

Not that she had any evidence of this directly, but it seemed to make sense. She remembered a quiet freshman, who joined the debate club and quickly became an outspoken and respected member, who also wanted to run for the Student Council, only to transfer out of the school a month later and days into her campaign. Monika hadn't thought anything of it at the time. In hindsight though, Riku had expressed interest in dating her shortly before she left, so she could only guess what had happened. Things like that were not uncommon the more she thought about it.

All of this pain, plotting, gossiping, scheming, and general contrived bullshit-ery, some of which she realized she must have unknowingly participated in more than once, just to keep the rich and socially outgoing students at the top. She was glad then that her club members were so socially inept as to be unreachable to the majority of this. Still, if Friday was anything to go by, that did not mean attempts would not be made.

Sitting patiently in the classroom that doubled as the Student Council chambers, she waited as each club president laid their concerns, needs, or ideas before the Council. Since her club was the smallest at five members, she was slated last to speak. Normally that hadn't been a problem, and she had previously used her allocated speaking time to praise the Council, some of whom she may have incorrectly perceived as friends. Now that she had an actual issue to address, the wait was killing her.

After the president of the club that was literally just a closet fetish had finished speaking, Monika stood to raise her issue.

"Right. Now onto the topic of finances. There have been a number of changes…" The Student Council President started speaking.

 _Oh. Screw me I guess._ Monika thought, before calmly raising her voice in protest. "Excuse me." Though she tried very hard and had a lot of pride, Monika attempted to keep herself from becoming too vain. That being said, the fact that _she_ had been skipped over did not bode well at all.

"-Ah. Monika, yes, what can we do for you?" The Council President addressed her.

"Thank you. I wanted to address the friction that has been going on with a few members of my club and some other students, which may have resulted in several unfortunate confrontations. I simply wish to look out for the wellbeing of my club members and resolve any outstanding issues." She explained.

"Yes, that... while we sympathize with your concerns, keep in mind it was _your_ club members that instigated the confrontations, one of which was off campus, and therefore outside of any influence we might have. If that is all…?"

"…Yes. Thank you." There was a reason that Monika left Sayori out of these council meetings. Besides being filled with political speak that would go right over her head, there were moments, like that, that were an absolute slap in the face. She would rather avoid making Sayori cry if she could help it. Err, again, that is.

It was rather bold of them however to claim that Natsuki had been the one to instigate both fights. Yuri had witnessed the first, and while she spared no detail in it's brutality, she made it very clear that Natsuki was being bullied physically when it began. As for the second, she could trust in James's brutal honesty to believe that six fucking football players confronted two shorter and smaller girls. She could only assume that James was involved in that fight somehow, seeing as he claimed both of them were fine; but was willing to take him at his word and keep the topic out of discussion.

"As I was saying, the financial allotment to each club has been slightly redistributed, as you will see. We've made it as fair as possible, so please review it." The Student President explained. In order to entertain the members of each club, the school allocated funds to be distributed by the student body as fairly as possible, but also without oversight. Admittedly, this led to some situations where finances were not equally distributed, which in turn led to a lot of ass kissing on the part of clubs who needed the funding to maintain membership.

Monika, being as popular as she was, had no trouble securing funding. But seeing as she had so few members in her club, she made do with about eight thousand Yen for a two-week period. Since her club members were also close enough to be good friends, the money wasn't quiet used as intended, but that was fine, seeing as they still did things together, like seeing a movie or having a nice meal, and using the spare money to invest in books that they heard about and were interested in.

When the aid for the Council passed by and handed her a paper showing the redistributed funding, she could see that the Cheerleaders Club and Football Club each received fairly large bonuses. Even the Debate Club had received a small bonus. While every other club was footing the bill for this change, even the Student Council, the club being most shafted was…The Literature Club.

 _What the fuck_. Monika thought as she saw her updated allocated finances to be four hundred and fifty Yen for the next two weeks. That was just a few cents shy of being able use the vending machine once for every member in her club. Admittedly it was something stupid to fret about, since she was sure her club wouldn't mind not being able to go hang out and have a nice time on club finances. But she also noticed on the financial sheet that no other club lost anywhere near as much money, even if they could afford it. No, this was something else, a message perhaps.

"Ah, excuse me, I have a question." Monika called out once again, eyes locked with the Council members.

"Yes? What can I help you with?" The President addressed her, just barely hiding a knowing smile.

"I-couldn't help but notice the disparity of change in the financial structure listed here. Or where it is mostly based…" She chose her words carefully.

"Well, that was entirely intentional." The President slipped a brief smile before explaining. "You see, for the past several weeks, there have been a number of transfers and hospitalizations after interacting with members of your club. The Debate Club had issues with finances after the loss of their treasurer, Riku. The Cheerleaders wanted to put together a 'get well' for their injured member, and the Football members as well. Additionally, the Football team has been benched as they are short several members and are currently burning through funds trying to recruit and train new players. So you see, we had ample reason to re-appropriate those funds to where they are most needed. Besides, what were you using those funds for anyway? You haven't attracted any new members for a month, and your club description doesn't require anything outgoing. So, if there is an issue…?"

"…" Monika grit her teeth through a neutral expression. She could feel every eye in the room locked on her figure. Some of them critical, some of them cruel, some of them lustful, and some of them mocking. "Very well…" She grounded out, ignoring those stares, keeping her eyes locked forward, until she resignedly sat down, hands clasped to maintain the illusion that she held grace and control, that she was calm and collected.

The meeting continued for several more minutes, which Monika detested as she sat alone. Wondering how she'd break the news to her club.

* * *

Club

Sayori shifted nervously in her seat as she read the news on her phone.

**Nuclear Test in North Korea Sparks International Outrage, Tensions Rise**

Admittedly, she didn't understand all the politics, or the hate, or what "fifty kilotons detonated at surface level" meant. What she did understand was that it was bad news and could, in some way, lead to fighting.

She looked up to see James approaching her, a curious look of concern on him. Smiling appreciatively, she greeted him.

"Hi James."

"Sayori, are you well?"

"Yeah… just the news. Why does everyone need to fight for what they believe in? Couldn't they just talk things out?"

"…" James frowned and looked over her shoulder. The implications of nuclear weaponry were lost to him, seeing as he used to have the option of just buying a nuclear missile back in his time for a few thousand Coam. Although, fifty kilotons were nothing to scoff at, and was a familiar number he could not quite remember the significance of. "That is just how most people understand things. Business and negotiation by use of force."

"…" Sayori sighed. "It doesn't have to be like that. People can learn to get along."

James placed his hand on her shoulder to comfort her. He was about to retort her when he was interrupted.

"Ah, James? Did you have a moment?" Yuri asked anxiously.

"…Alright." He gave Sayori a quick squeeze, which she hummed at, before turning to see what Yuri wanted.

"I…still want you to expand your reading knowledge and…well…I had an idea. I think I remember you saying you were interested in technology, so, I found a book that might interest you." She handed over a small book just under three-hundred pages long. There was an odd little symbol on the cover of a tripoded pot with wires sticking out. "This book is called ' _The War of the Worlds_ '. It's about an alien invasion from Mars that…ah…well…I've already said too much. But suffice to say it inspired many other writers to make darker and grittier science fiction stories."

"I see. Thank you." James placed the book back with his things, curious as to what a book about the green planet would be like.

"Hey James!" Natsuki shouted excitedly, but not without some aggression.

"…" He turned to her, curious.

"I've got a new stack of manga I wanted to check out. Want to come sit with me?" She offered with a smile. **She was an adorably cute girl whether she was trying or not**.

…

 _…What?_ James blinked in surprise, purging that thought from his mind. No. No. Too weird. How the fuck had that gotten there?

"…Alright." He relented, unable to find an excuse to not join her. Completely ignoring his thoughts from moments before.

. . .

Nearly half an hour later saw Monika enter the room, slowly and awkwardly, lacking a great deal of confidence. Her club members greeted her kindly, which she apprehensively returned. They deserved better than she could provide.

"Hey everyone…can I get your attention please?" Monika announced somberly. She took a moment, eyes closed, to prepare herself. "So… I just got back from the Student Council meeting, And well…our budget…we don't have, a budget, anymore." The other girls looked surprised, a little worried. James on the other hand looked on curiously, thinking hard.

"So, we won't be able to organize any 'club funded hang-outs' anymore. I'll understand then…If you want to leave and find another club." Monika resigned herself, leaning back against a desk, waiting to hear if anyone left suddenly.

Instead, Yuri and Natsuki held thoughtful, and perhaps annoyed looks. Meanwhile, Sayori approached her with cheerful confidence.

"That doesn't matter Monika. None of us are in this club to just get a free meal or movie. We can have just as much fun in here, with each other. Because unlike the big clubs, all of us are friends. No! Better than friends! We are all best friends!" Sayori shouted cheerfully as she assaulted Monika with a hug.

"…" Monika cringed nervously. She didn't deserve this kindness from Sayori. Even so she greedily savored the warm embrace of the most honest and cheerful girl she knew.

"Yeah, Sayori is right. I'm happy in here with all of you." Natsuki smiled proudly.

"I never felt comfortable anywhere else. I'm…satisfied, being here in this club." Yuri gave a small, honest smile, her voice quiet but direct.

"…" James wasn't paying attention to their conversation. He was still thinking, forming an idea, but based on his experience with words he was uncertain if the definitions were still the same.

"J-James?" Sayori questioned, concerned that he was having second thoughts about the club.

"…Hmm." He hummed softly back. "Right, yes, my loyalty is still to this club. I just…I'll be right back." He then left suddenly, leaving his stuff though, implying he would return. While he was away though, there was an unspoken tension in the air, to which each girl resumed what they were doing before.

Returning a minute later, James was holding onto a flyer, taken directly off a post board outside. Approaching Monika with it, she could see it was an advertisement for the Football team.

Monika sighed dejectedly at the sight, it made sense after all. James was extremely quick and powerful; he would do well in sports. Perhaps he had finally grown bored of just reading. Perhaps he was finally fed up with everybody flirting with him. Maybe he hated her so much that he would leave the club in it's moment of weakness just to spite her. Honestly, she couldn't blame him.

Standing before her with flyer in hand, James pointed to a few lines at the bottom of the advertisement. "Monika, does this mean what I think it means?"

"Hmm?" Looking at where he pointed, Monika read the fine print carefully. "Well, that means that that local business is sponsoring the Football team."

"Yes, sponsor, that means funding, right?"

"Uhh, yeah. In this case that business gives some money to the team so they can travel to events or have parties to celebrate."

"Yes, good; now, is that funding direct? Not too many hoops to jump through?"

"Well…honestly I don't know. But I believe it implies as much, that that money goes directly to that team. Why are you interested in that? Do you plan on joining the Football team?"

Across the room, the other girls listened carefully and anxiously.

"Oh, no, never." Monika let out a sigh of relief she didn't know she was holding at his answer. Simultaneously the advertisement crumpled in his hand as he threw it over his shoulder. "However…" James placed a hand on her far shoulder, bringing her under his arm to whisper loudly. "…I think you should expect good news." He smiled deviously, in such a way to be both endearing and disturbing to Monika.

"Oh…really?" She questioned cautiously, taken aback at his comradery attitude.

"Yes. Very much so, yes." James nodded excitedly.

* * *

That Evening

It was one of the few perfectly legal things he had ever done. Sure he had to hack a system to speed up the process, but otherwise what he had done was fine.

The irony was not lost on him. He was now exactly what he despised, a corporate. Still, taking advantage of the situation was part of his survival strategy; and the situation was that he had access to advanced technology and was using it to make absurd amounts of money. Money he wasn't using, save for when he self-invested in order to expand his corporation. But really, it was secondary in his goals. The club was where his loyalties lay.

Speaking of the club, he still had to read the book Yuri had given him. It was apparently about Mars. That far, pale green dot he'd seen so long ago.

_No one would have believed in the last years of the nineteenth century that this world was being watched keenly and closely by intelligences greater than man's and yet as mortal as his own…_

… _And strangest of all is it to hold my wife's hand again, and to think I have counted her, and that she counted me, among the dead._

_The end._

_…Huh._ Alright then. There were several inconsistencies to his own knowledge of Mars. But he'd save that for later when he saw Yuri again, because reading the book had given him an idea.

The Martians in the book had used infrared lasers. While that wasn't accurate, it reminded him about the light spectrum. Armored Core laser weaponry was really just massive plasma projectiles, differing in density and range projection. While he'd proven he could build single-use batteries that could power advanced weaponry, the damage caused by a similarly small-scaled plasma discharge would be both less impressive and more expensive than an anti-tank rocket. Actually, he could probably buy twenty RPG's for the resource investment of a few shots of plasma.

On the other hand, an actual photon-based laser was a viable option using his advanced powering systems. In that sense, he could probably build an ultraviolet laser and use it to blind enemies. He'd have to draw up plans for that soon.

But first, his obligatory poem for the club.

* * *

It was becoming routine, expected, and that scared her. Fortunately, this time Natsuki found herself in a small room, possibly an office, overlooking the ocean. It was night out, allowing her to see the vast and starry night.

Although, there was something slightly wrong with the sky. For one, it was shaded lightly green, ever so slightly. The moon as well, something was off with it. Although waning, it was still brightly lit, and she didn't have the experience to know why.

Next to her was a telescope, pointed up at the sky. She was tempted to look into it when the door behind her opened. Into the little room stepped the blonde woman, Fiona, and the dark haired boy, who looked a little older. She stepped back to the side of the room, watching the memories play out.

"Where are we, Ms. Fiona?" The child, who had to be about nine, asked nervously.

"Just an unused office. I wanted to show you something." Fiona smiled kindly. Leading the boy up to the telescope, she typed a program into a small computer in the stand. The telescope whirled quietly, panning a few inches. She then looked through the eyepiece, making a quick adjustment. She sighed for a moment before standing up. "Here, look." She offered, gesturing to the telescope.

Stepping up to the eyepiece, the child looked through it. "Wow! It's so pretty! Is that Mars?"

"Yes… yes it is."

"Do you think Earth will look like that again?"

"…" Fiona frowned with a hurt look, lips parted in surprise. Tenderly, she rubbed the boy's back, while a single tear fell down her cheek. "Yeah... yeah I think it will."

Natsuki stepped towards the two, watching curiously at the tender scene she was privy too. She looked down at the boy again. If that was Fiona behind him, then this must be…

A short electric screech caused her to flinch and wince. When she opened her eyes, she was alone again. She worriedly started at the spot they had occupied before. Were these dreams the memories of her friend?

*Tap Tap*

She turned to the window, seeing Strayed just outside, tapping on the widow with a long, metallic claw.

*Tap Tap*

It was pointing at the telescope. Curious, she looked through the eyepiece.

"…?" She was stunned silent. She knew what Mars looked like normally. She could also recognize the giant valley that split across the face of Mars, even if she couldn't remember it's name. What was odd about the valley was that it was now an ocean, deep and blue. It wasn't alone either. A good quarter of the planet was saturated in deep, blue seas. Instead of the rust red wastelands of the lifeless world she remembered, there were soft brown deserts. Mostly however, there was dense, green forest. Entire continents worth of green. She didn't think the pictures of Earth she had seen had that much vibrant green in them. Clouds as well, soft, white, fluffy clouds.

Something drifted slowly into frame, something round and artificial. She adjusted the focus and angle, looking at what she could only assume to be a satellite. It was cylindrical, with a ring, and a split spire pointed down.

A pressure on her shoulder caused her to look up. Strayed was next to her, grabbing the telescope and swinging it into the direction of the moon, then played with the focus. With a gesture it beckoned her to look again. She did so curiously.

"…!" That was why the moon was so bright, even with the reflected light reduced to a sliver. There were cities on the moon! Not just isolated lights either. Entire nations worth of gridded light connected by thousands of miles of roads. The entire dark side of the moon, from pole to pole, was lit in bright and lively cities, glowing in artificial light. Even the light side of the moon was darkened with crisscrossing roads and cities in day, contrasting the grey moonrock.

Another artificial object drifted into frame. Another one of those cylindrical satellites. Curious, Natsuki brought the focus and zoom out to the satellites level. She zoomed out until another satellite was entirely in frame. But even then, she could see the rings of two more above and below. She zoomed out further, seeing dozens of satellites, pointing down menacingly. She zoomed out again until the telescope hit it's minimal zoom level. Illuminated by the city lights on the moon, she could see hundreds of identical satellites, evenly spaced between each other.

"Why…are there so many satellites? What are they?" She asked, looking up at Stayed.

Strayed's head shifted down. She got the impression that if it had any teeth, it was grinding them hatefully. " _A wall_." It spat.

"A wall to what?" Natsuki inquired.

Strayed shifted away, holding it's arm out with a claw in front of the telescope. The claws flayed open, and a mirror appeared in their grasp. A small, brown dot centered in the mirror. Though confused, Natsuki got the message and looked down the telescope again.

Zooming into the image, and bringing it into focus, familiar shapes took hold. Continents and oceans… Earth… brown, pale, and ashen. No green, and grey oceans. Not a single spot on the home world contained a hint of green or blue. More than a desert, even a wasteland would have hope. It was the image of a _tomb_.

It was just a dream, she knew that. But she also knew there was a certain realism to these images, these dreams. Seeing the other worlds in glorious beauty and majesty, contrasted to the harsh and lifeless world she called home, brought a shiver to her, shaking her conviction, bringing a tear to her eye as well.

"Why…?" She managed to whisper. "What…happened?"

Strayed retracted, head bowed, a claw shamefully curled inward towards it's chest, pointing into the violation of existence that was itself.

" _We… happened_."

* * *

School / Next Day - Tuesday

Though frustrated with the Student Council, Monika had eventually come to the conclusion that there was nothing to be done. Undesirable, but not the worst outcome. She went through the motions of her first period of class.

It started as a whisper, it's intent of focus on her. Turning slightly, she caught two students pointing, attempting discretion. A rumor, and gossip to spread it.

It had spread so fast that by third period half of all students where glancing in her direction. Scoffing. Giggling. Mocking. She managed to catch a few words here and there, where students talked openly when they lost sight of her. Petty. Desperate. Slut. Her skin crawled uncomfortably, the dirty and jealous looks of girls and the lustful and hungry looks from guys was embarrassing. Humiliating. Distasteful.

She needed to get to the bottom of this, fast. Whatever rumor or lie this was of such a slanderous nature that it was snowballing out of control. Whatever had instigated it was probably blown out of proportion for the entertainment of others.

. . .

At lunch, she had to control herself from looking around worriedly, to not hold herself when she could hear open laughter when she passed. Looking for those friends of hers, she found them, gossiping as usual. At her approach, she could see them turn to regard her, then turn to each other with whispered surprise and barely hidden smirks. Even so, Monika had to find out what rumor was burning her.

"Oh, hey here she comes." Mei whispered to Hina as Monika got closer.

"Hi Hina, Mei." Monika greeted, hiding her discomfort.

"Hey Monika." Hina greeted far too kindly, a knowing smile and ill intent in her eyes. "So, how was your night?" Her eyes widened, while she grinned biting a lip, holding laughter back.

"It…was fine…? Why do you ask?" Monika inquired, confused and curious.

"Oh, you know, we've heard you've been busy. Like… _busy_ …khi!" Mei managed before giggling openly.

"Busy…with what?"

"Oh, I think you know. After you got told off yesterday at the Student Council, I can understand why, but damn! You went all the way huh?" Hina emphasized, her head rocking along as she spoke.

"I'm sorry…I don't follow?" Monika tried to get more information but could gather so far that her exchanges the previous day had something to do with it.

"Hey! Was he an old guy, all wrinkly and nasty? Or was he young and hot like that cheesy romance movie! Oh oh! Was he really small? Pff-HAHA!" Mei started blabbering, unable to hold onto her bombastic cackling.

"What?" Monika hissed sharply. She still didn't understand what was going on, but she could understand the intent behind that question. Her hands curled into fists as some of the problem came into clarity.

"Oh, my, god. He was some old creep wasn't he? And you just…mkkpp!" Hina's cheeks puffed out, keeping her apparent laughter in for a moment. She turned to Mei and started lightly slapping her shoulder with playful realization.

"What the hell are you two talking about?" Monika challenged, her back straight and arms down, fists clenched tighter.

"Wow Monika, I knew you liked being the most popular, but holy shit I didn't think you'd go that far!" Mei shouted out, her spirit elevated between surprised and giddy.

"But seriously! Tell us what happened! Did it go on long? Did he…oh man…did he!? In you!? Are you!?" Hina started drawing her own conclusion, raising her voice the longer she spoke.

"…!" Monika stormed off embarrassed and enraged. Even if she had no idea what the hell was going on, she realized she just made it about a thousand fucking times worse. She could hear them behind her, giggling and cackling madly at whatever deranged and perverse thoughts those two could imagine.

Locking herself into a bathroom stall, she slammed her fist into the wall, stinging her pinky finger. But she was too angry too care. For some reason, beyond her comprehension, based on what those two blabbering idiots where gossiping about, the rumor was that she fucked an old guy. How and why that would have even had the traction to go from some unlikely fantasy to fact to more than half the damn school was the mystery.

She hadn't gone anywhere, said anything, hell, she still hadn't even had her own first time, she was saving that. But somehow, from the end of that embarrassing council meeting the previous day to the following morning; a rumor managed to start about her, and she couldn't for the life of her figure out why.

A light buzzing caught her attention. Opening her phone, she found that she had been summoned to an impromptu Student Council meeting for afterschool. As much as she dreaded it, she felt that it would at least provide an answer.

. . .

The "Council Chambers" were nearly barren, containing only the Student Council and Monika herself. Unlike the previous day where the council had been prim and proper, polite and political, they held no such reservations now to hide their annoyance and judgement as they stared her down.

Monika was at her wits end. Her "friends" the smack talking bitches had managed to spread a new rumor within a rumor, adding to her misery. Now, not only did the majority of the school think she had slept with an old guy, but that she was carrying this unknown, geriatric playboy's child. She just had to survive a few more minutes of crippling embarrassment to find out _why_.

"So, Monika, I think you know why we called you here." The Council President addressed her with openly expressed annoyance. Beside him on both sides, members of the council were split between hiding their laughter and glaring accusingly.

"Yes." Monika lied, just wanting the day to end.

"Well, your sponsorship request came in this morning."

"…" Monika blinked. _Huh?_

"From the 'Chrome' corporation, *that massive tech conglomerate buying all the land in the city*…" He muttered under his breath but loud enough for her to hear. "…Has officially sponsored your club. _Only, your club,_ in excess of one million Yen a week."

"…Huh?" Monika managed to mutter.

"While I can't begin to image how you convinced the power company to sponsor your club, I think we all know at this point." At this declaration, the fuming council members left the room, while the giggling ones opened their mouths and cried hysterically.

Quickly though, the amount of money that was being implied hit her. That was hundreds of times what she was getting before, and thousands of times what she was getting now. It was also several times more than what the football team was getting, even after sponsorships.

Several more realizations and unanswerable questions suddenly burdened Monika's mind. Why did her club get sponsored!? How the hell had a technological giant decide it needed to drop millions of Yen on her little club!? More concerningly, she realized where that damn rumor came from. They must have assumed she sought the CEO of that company and sold herself for a financial favor. Honestly though, that new company barely even crossed her mind before this moment. She had hoped that the rumor had started over a stupid misunderstanding. Now though, with rather apparent if confounding evidence before her, Monika realized one simple and unchangeable fact.

Her reputation was incomprehensively fucked beyond any hope of salvation.

* * *

Club

Another day without any notable development, so far at least. Anxious but curious, Yuri approached James to discuss the book he had read.

"So, James, how are you liking the book?" She asked with honest interest.

"I've already finished it."

"Oh? You read so fast! I have to say I'm rather impressed. Well, what did you think about it?"

"…" James sighed, before turning to her. "There were…several inconsistencies."

"Mhh?" Yuri reacted visibly, shifting her head up and back. "What do you mean?"

"The technology the Martian's used was all wrong. For one thing, they used infrared lasers and chemical weapons, when it's known they really used plasma and nuclear weapons."

"…Huh?"

"Additionally, their war machines were slow tripodal Muscle Tracers, when they had high-speed bipedal Cores just like us."

"…What does that mean?" Yuri frowned in confusion.

"I also thought it was strange that the Martians obtained sustenance from human blood. That's not really the best way to nutritionalize a human. The best way would be too…" James realized he was about to describe the process of turning humans into low-cost, mass produced food, something he'd rather forget he was knowledgeable in. He also remembered what year it was, it was thirty-five years before the invention of the Armored Core. "Ah, excuse me a moment."

Turning and approaching Sayori, he leaned down next to her where she sat, hand on her shoulder to alert her and steady himself. "Sayori." He whispered.

"Hmm?" She turned to address him, giving a smile.

"How many manned missions to Mars have there been?"

"Uhh…" Sayori might be many things, but she would have noticed at some point if people set foot on another planet. "…None?"

"…Thanks." James sighed. He'd forgotten when Mars had been settled and colonized, let alone terraformed; with ancient Martian technology being discovered on the planet and in it's former moon, Phobos.

Returning to Yuri, he rubbed his chin for a moment before reaching a satisfactory response. "Forget what I said, I was confused. It was a wonderful book and I thought highly of it."

"Ah, well I'm glad to hear. I'll be sure to look for something else that you might be interested in." Yuri's hands clasped each other by the side of her head while she smiled cheerfully.

Watching this exchange curiously, Natsuki quietly contemplated. The dreams she was having were more often confounding, but if she applied them to what she saw, they were then telling. It seemed to imply something…odd. Something out of a mystery or adventure manga of time travel or dimensional hopping. But that kind of thing didn't happen, right? Because otherwise, James was someone from…

The door to the club room swung open rapidly, Monika spinning on her heel to shut it just as quickly. She held it shut with her back turned on her club members. She was too anxious, certain to be ridiculed the moment she turned around.

"Monika? Are you alright?" Sayori's small, concerned voice called to her from behind. Turning, Monika was greeted with the indescribably beauty of Sayori's honest blue eyes, regarding her welcomingly. The irony burned her, aching her heart. The only person so far who didn't look at her like she was a petty, attention whoring slut was the one person who she deserved the least kindness from.

"Yeah, better actually." She forced a smile for her friend. Getting to the front of the classroom, she decided that her club needed to be informed of the news. Even if it damned her, her club deserved to know. "Uh…attention…everyone. So, we actually got a sponsor, we have the funding now to do…really…whatever we want."

Sayori smiled widely and excitedly. Yuri and Natsuki each held an interested and hopeful look in their own way, with Yuri being more inquisitively thoughtful and Natsuki giving a kind of cute thinking pout. James was, naturally, unreadable. He smiled, but she couldn't figure out if that was because he had heard her rumor, was happy with the sponsorship, or was so engrossed in what he was working on that it was beneath his notice. Though from her experience it was likely the latter.

"Oh my god Monika that's awesome!" Sayori cheered for her, literally jumping with joy. "I knew you could pull it off!" Monika smiled sadly at her. Her first thought not going to something depraved, instead praising her for something that she could not claim to be responsible for.

"Of course. Anything for the club." Monika forced with her eyes closed. She sat down to try and finish some homework. Anything to get her mind off the day's events.

* * *

School / Next Day – Wednesday

It hadn't gotten any better. If anything, the rumors had only spread further and emboldened people to be more crass.

Opening her locker, Monika noticed a skimpy, lacy pair of panties that was not there before. A note as well, reading "You left these, come by again baby!". _Wow. Really fucking original_. A sharp uptick in laughter echoed from nearby in the hallway. Slamming the locker shut, Monika stormed off to her next class, ignoring looks from the side.

Just get to the end of the day, just get to the club, get to those few people who didn't talk shit about her, and just maybe, this would all blow over in a couple of days.

* * *

School / Next Day – Thursday

The rumors had basically maxed out at that point. She was numb to it and there wasn't anything more they could say to insult her. Still, the more explicitly vile of the school's population could find other ways of getting to her.

Dragging her feet through the hall, Monika kept her eyes forward, struggling to keep them up as well. She'd been losing a bit of sleep, as such, she was not remotely prepared when a hand quickly grasped her behind firmly, against her will. She flinched, jumping at the unwelcome contact that slipped away a moment later. She could hear the hollering whoops of approval from several male voices behind her.

If it had been last week, no one would have even thought to try that shit with her, but that was before. Now, she was just a joke, an object to be gawked at and mocked. Walking as calmly as she could towards a bathroom, she locked herself into a stall, fighting back tears and a scream.

* * *

Club / Hours later

Somehow, she had made it to the club room at the end of the day. What had happened before weighed heavily on her, it was not something she was going to forget easily. It was uncomfortable and really, really, messed up.

For someone else, she decided she needed to talk to someone about the things she had noticed, and since Monika was the smartest girl she knew as well as the club president, she might know what to do.

"Hey Monika? I wanted to talk to you about-" Natsuki began quietly.

"YES I MOVED YOUR GODDAMN MANGA AGAIN!" Monika snapped, shouting and sneering. Natsuki flinched back, eyes shut tightly, a slight whimper escaping her.

She'd known she'd fucked up again almost instantly. It wasn't just Natsuki's sad and hurt expression that killed her on the inside, it was the eyes boring into her skull from across the room. She didn't have to look to know the rage emanating from them. If she looked back now, she was certain the glare would make her scream.

"W-Wait!" Monika cried out, putting her shaking hands on Natsuki's shoulders. "I'm…sorry. I'm really sorry. I didn't mean to snap at you. I'm…" She bowed her head reluctantly. "I'm having a bad day, it just slipped out. You know that feeling, right?"

"…" Natsuki regarded her cautiously, a single moist eye on her. She gave a slight nod.

"I'm sorry. Please believe me, I'd never want to hurt you. I'm…going to leave early today." With that, Monika quickly grabbed her things, making for the exit. On the way out, she stole a glance at James, almost certain he would be staring her down.

He…kinda was? He was staring intently at the spot she'd been in when she shouted, but was ignoring her now. He must have known when she was watching him, as he gave a slow shrug with his shoulders, his head leaned away from her, before he went back to his writing. If he was dissatisfied with her before, he was indifferent with her now.

As terrible as it was to admit, that was probably the best part of the whole day. _Not_ being noticed or paid attention too.

* * *

School / Next Day – Friday

Browsing her phone for any interesting stories or postings, Sayori leaned against the wall of a locked bathroom stall, as one does when they are bored.

She heard a pair of semi-familiar voices giggling as they entered the bathroom. Those were Monika's popular friends last she recalled.

"I still can't believe she was that desperate! Did you see the look on her face?" The voice belonging to Mei called out.

"I know right. I never thought Monika would be such a slut!" Hina's voice replied.

 _…Huh?_ That caught Sayori's attention. She put her phone away and leaned into the door to listen better.

"Hey, you think she's been sleeping around with other guys in the school?" Mei questioned curiously.

"Oh, I wouldn't doubt it. Hey, maybe she likes older guys? What if we say she's been going for some of the teachers?" Hina suggested.

"Oh that's great! That would be a great story to tell!" Mei agreed. Both girls left shortly afterwards.

Alone with her thoughts, Sayori frowned sadly. Those weren't very nice things she just heard. She'd like to imagine she knew Monika well enough to know that none of that was true. It was very mean spirited to go around making rumors like that about her friend and club president that she looked up to. Monika didn't deserve that kind of abuse. She'd never hurt her friends…

Except for that one time…she…

She…

Sayori's mind stopped for a moment, purging the idea before it could propagate. That's right, Monika would never hurt her friends. So hearing people say mean and crude things about the inspiring and outgoing president hurt Sayori, bringing a shiver down her back as she held herself tightly. She just hoped it wasn't hurting Monika as well.

* * *

Club

Anxiously waiting, Sayori noted that Monika still hadn't showed up to the club. She wanted to talk to her, tell her that no matter what crazy rumor she heard, that she wouldn't believe it. That she trusted Monika and whatever she said. She couldn't do that however if Monika didn't show up.

She worried about her, having text her several times already, but not getting an answer. Hoping she was just busy or forgetful, Sayori decided to task the best "person-finder" she knew to go get her.

"James…?" Sayori sadly addressed her friend.

"Hmm? Yes Sayori?"

"I'm…worried about Monika. Do you think you can go find her please? I really want to talk to her, but she isn't answering her phone." She calmly pleaded.

"…" James sighed. He would have preferred to leave Monika to herself, but Sayori was his Vice-President, and Monika his President. There was a clear chain of command he needed to follow, and to ensure their safety as well. "Alright." He got up calmly and left while Sayori smiled thankfully.

"…" Stepping out of the club room, he didn't need to go far to find Monika. He could see her outside the window, sitting alone in the school courtyard three stories below. Well, Sayori didn't say to _bring her back_ , just to find her, and he had. With that done, he relaxed and watched her back, as she hung her head low. She didn't even notice when someone walked up next to her; only when they began talking to her did she notice them.

…

Oh? That was an interesting reaction. Who could that…

Oh…

_Oh…_

Well, work was work. He'd thought he tasted it coming on. With that in mind he opened the window and stepped outside.

* * *

School Courtyard / Two Minutes Before

She didn't want to go to the club today. Too much had happened that week, too much was on her mind. After yesterday, when she had snapped at Natsuki, she couldn't bring herself to face her club.

Even though school was over, Monika wasn't ready to leave just yet. Home wasn't anything great, just a place she lived. As well, she didn't want to think she was abandoning her club members entirely. So she just…admired the quiet courtyard. It was so different from when it was filled with students. It was so nice to not be noticed.

Her peaceful and quiet contemplation was broken by one of the last people she wanted to talk to.

"Oh, hey Monika. What are you still doing here?"

Hey eyes widened at the familiar voice, back going straight, face locked between a nervous grimace and hateful glare. That was the voice of her ex-boyfriend.

"…Touma…" Monika uttered the name despondently. He was part of her early high school life, in the…the…sports or whatever, it didn't matter. What was important to know was that Monika had foolishly gone out with him for several months during her first year of high school, even though he was a year older. She dumped him when she realized he was just trying to have his way with her, something she wasn't at all ready for years ago.

She was quite happy to forget him, ignore him, leave him to whatever it was he did. Because she really didn't want to deal with him right now.

"What... do you want Touma?" Monika narrowed her eyes accusingly, a look she was probably borrowing from James.

"Hey, hey. I just wanted to see how you were doing." Touma smiled nonthreateningly, his hands raised in mock defense. "I've heard a lot of things this week."

"…" Monika took a deep breath, keeping her suspicious glare.

"Of course, I didn't believe any of it. I was like 'that's not the Monika I know.'"

"…"

"So, I wanted to come and ask you. But you were really busy this week, so I didn't get the chance."

"…"

"So yeah, how are you doing?"

"…" Another breath, keeping her composure and image. "Not great. But I'll deal with it. So you don't need to concern yourself."

"Ah-ha. Well, I was still hoping to get a chance to speak with you. We haven't spoken in a long time you know?"

"That wasn't by accident."

"Ha-ehh, yeah." Touma took a seat on the same bench. Monika refused to turn towards him. "Still, those crazy rumors got me thinking, maybe even a little _jealous._ "

"…" There was the smallest of nervous twitches in Monika's posture. She might have been unconsciously emulating her friend, but she did not share his absolute apathy for everything. That small movement only served to embolden Touma. "J-Just... go away. I don't want to talk to you."

"Ah." Touma shrugged, standing up and turning away for a moment. He took a deep breath as his hands came down to his sides, before he turned back towards her. "That's…not gonna happen." Then he moved, grabbing her roughly.

"H-Hey!" Monika shouted. "Let go of me! Stop it!"

"Even if it's not true, the thought of all those dirty men getting their hands on you really got me going!"

"Stop it! I'm going to scream!" Monika shouted as she was led to the side of the building, behind some bushes. "MMM!" She tried to scream out, but a hand clasped over her mouth as she felt an unwelcome weight press into her back, another hand crawling up her chest invasively.

"Ooh! You've grown a lot since first year, haven't you?" Touma breathed down her ear.

"MMMMMMMM!" Monika tried to kick and flail, but it was useless against the larger and stronger boy.

"Shut up!" Touma slammed her head against the wall, stunning her silent for a moment. Her vison flashed white and she could feel something wet run down her face, a mixture of blood and tears. She fell to her knees.

"Now, how about you…" She could faintly hear the light clinging of a belt buckle and the tear of a zipper being pulled down. There was another sound as well, the sound of something landing softly in the dirt nearby. "…accept what I've been waiting to give you since-HHHHEEEEEEEEPPPPP!"

"…" With her head hurting as it was, Monika wasn't quite able to contemplate the sudden change in pitch in Touma's voice.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAaaaaaaaaaaa-akhh-aaaa!" Touma's high pitched voice got very far away, very quickly. Monika sat still afraid, still in pain, still with her eyes shut, not able to figure out her surroundings. A minute later she heard Touma's off-pitched voice shout from a distance. "Y-You-! You almost tore it off!"

"A shame I didn't."

Monika turned and forced her eyes open at that very familiar voice. Standing a few feet away with hatefully stoic eyes, James stared out at someone unseen.

"Now go and _fuck right off_." James ordered in barely contained rage. He kept standing, eyes moving slowly across the courtyard at someone she couldn't see. After another minute or two, he closed his eyes and sat down, back to the wall, still more than an arm's length away. And he just…waited.

Gaining back some of her strength and thoughts, she sat with her back against the same wall, still at least two feet away from James. She didn't want to be touched at the moment, and really appreciated his patience right now.

"T-T-Thanks…"

"…" James nodded, eyes opened now, but only glancing, before going straight out and away, into the bushes in front of them.

"…" Monika grit her teeth, throat clenched in a scream she held in. She pulled her knees up to her chest, holding them there with both hands. "…" Her voice was hoarse, unable to form the sounds she wanted. She gave up and spoke with a broken voice.

"I've just had…a really fucked up week."

"…"

"Have you…heard the things people have been saying about me?"

"I hear everything. But I don't really understand…what they are saying. Rumors don't interest me."

"…" Monika held back her shame and spit her frustration. "They've been saying I-That I fucked some old CEO for the sponsorship."

"…"

"And they've just really kept it going this whole week. They kept it going and going and going. They've made it even worse!"

"Who...has said these things?"

"Fff!" Monika huffed in annoyance. "Everyone! All the popular people! The Student Council! Those! Fucking! SLUTS I called my friends!"

"…"

"I didn't even do anything! I didn't ask for that stupid sponsorship! Why the fuck did I get a huge fucking sponsorship I didn't ask for!"

"…"

"Sponsor…ship. A sponsorship." She turned in surprise, remembering. "Y-You." She stuttered. "You were asking me about sponsorships on Monday." Monika leaned over, grabbing James by his collar, she stood on her knees over him, fearful and teetering on the edge of rage. "P-Please James, tell me you didn't. Tell me you didn't have something to do with that. Please. Please. Please. Please! Please! Tell me!" Her hands were shaking on his collar, hoping he'd say no.

"I had something to do with the sponsorship. Yes." He answered matter of fact.

"…" Monika's hands shook uncontrollably, her jaw hanging open. She bared her teeth as her fists pulled tight at his collar.

"Why?! Why?! Why?! Why would you do that James?!" She grabbed at him, slamming the back of his head into the wall. "Why would you do that to me?!"

"I thought a sponsorship would help you?" He asked confused, ignoring the assault he was receiving.

"From a local business yeah. Not. The fucking. _POWER COMPANY_!" She screamed into his face.

"I'm going to admit, I do not understand."

"…" Monika stopped attacking James, bowing her head in frustration. "It doesn't matter. Everyone thinks I'm a just a slut now. But I need to know, why…why did you do that James?"

"Because you said we didn't have a budget. I wanted to help you."

"I thought…you hated me…I know you're still mad about…about what I did to Sayori. I know you like to flirt with me just to deny it moments later. So please…just talk to me. Tell me what's going on in your head?"

"…" James cocked his head with a sigh, before returning it back upright. "I'm never going to forgive you for what you did to Sayori. Flirting with you sometimes is a sort of revenge for that. Using a weakness of yours against you. Like you did to her."

"…" Monika leaned back off of her knees, sitting facing him. She covered her face in shame.

"That does not mean I hate you though, I just didn't like what you did. You are still my president though, and, arguably, something of a friend."

"…" Monika openly wept, feeling sorry for herself. Hating herself for feeling sorry for herself. "For what I did, I probably deserved this."

"…"

"Everyday for the last few years I've been the center of attention. Pretty Monika. Popular Monika. Outgoing, athletic, enviable Monika. It's just so fucking exhausting. Everyone just trying to get close to me, trying to be my friend. Everyone just thinking about Monika. Everyone just wanting to spend time with Monika. Everyone just wanting to _fuck_ Monika. Just Monika. Just Monika. Just Monika. Just. FUCKING. MONIKA."

"…"

"And then last year, I met someone different. Someone who didn't just want to be around me because I was the popular girl. Just a regular girl in a bookstore, getting the same book as her. We talked for hours and hours and I fucking loved it. That's how I started the Literature Club. That's how I met Sayori, the best friend I ever made…"

"…"

"And I…" Monika's voice cracked. "I-" Her eyes shut tightly, hatefully. "I fucking told her to kill herself!" She shouted, freely spilling tears. "The best friend I ever made and I almost killed her over a stupid boy who never even liked me!"

"…"

"I don't care about my reputation anymore! I don't care what people say about me! I would-I would even fucking do it! I'd fuck a hundred old, creepy guys if I could just say sorry to my best friend!" She leaned forward, back on her knees, grabbing James by the hands. Her body contorted to be almost prostrated before him. "So please! Help me James! I'll do anything! Punish me! Fuck me! Kill me! Do what you will! Just let me say sorry to the only real friend I ever had!"

"…" James blinked and sighed, head bowing briefly. "No."

"…" Monika was nearly hysterical in her crying, breathing dangerously unsteady. Lightheaded from not breathing deeply enough.

"I understand where you are coming from, better than you realize. But Sayori's mind is in a fragile state right now. She's managed to repress the memory of what you told her, but if you bring it up to her, you could put her back in that state, and I might not be there in time to stop her from killing herself."

"I just…I just…"

"You want to unburden your soul of your guilt, that's what you want to say." Monika looked up in surprise at this declaration, amazed and terrified that her feelings were always laid bare before him. "But this isn't something you can just 'say you are sorry' for and everything will be better. You hurt her, and now you have to live with that guilt."

"I…It can't just be…like that…"

"Monika, there are some sins that can never be forgiven." James shut his eyes as the memory of the desperate and pained death throes of his only ally, impaled at the end his blade, played in his head. "Never forgiven, that we will bare for the rest of our unnaturally cruel lives."

"…" Monika kept on crying. She moved closer to the wall, leaning backwards, she slammed her head forward…

"Stop that." Only to be caught by James's hand, keeping her from hurting herself.

"I…just…help me… punish me… I don't care anymore. Do something to me, for Sayori. Please, she deserved better, so do something to me…do something…anything."

"…" James sighed. He looked at his right hand questionably. He got a reluctant message agreeing to his idea in his head. It was more or less an order, and he was responsible for this. He'd never intended for the sponsorship to ruin Monika's reputation, that was on him. "I'll do…something. You will keep that guilt you have for Sayori. But those rumors, I'll help with that, make it less severe, make you feel better."

"H-How…?"

"Close your eyes."

"…" Reluctantly, Monika closed her eyes. She could feel his hand trace up the side of her face, stopping with two fingers pressed into her temple. Then everything went dark.

* * *

" _I am sorry to say_ …" Monika heard as she came to somewhere dark. Somewhere that shouldn't exist. She looked up to see James standing several feet away, wearing a black trench-coated military uniform of some description. "… _that a threat I made a while ago, about putting you though what Sayori went through…well, now you will find out_."

Something was coming. An unquenchable thirsting for violence. A rank and vile stench of death. The coppery taste of the blood of millions spilled with apathetic indifference. And the screaming. Screaming endlessly, loudly. Most terrifying though, was she could distinctly hear two familiar voices in the screaming.

Black, metallic claws wrapped around her, standing her up, then turning her around. A hundred red eyes, wrapped around the long snout of a thing that should not exist, bared down inquisitively at her.

She'd written so many poems, so many ideas exploring the places beyond human understanding. Concepts just outside of human comprehension. Now though, one of those unspeakable ideas was staring back.

And there was no wall to keep her safe.

With practiced precision those long, sharp claws curled inward, penetrating her chest. They met no resistance as they filled her out, scaping and tearing away at her and her convictions. Forcing her down, the claws worked quickly, cutting and carving even as her own screams grew louder and louder.

Something in the darkness caught her eye. Familiar shades of blue and pink. Even screaming, even drowning in her own blood, Monika turned to the source. She could see…Natsuki, bloodied, beaten, crying and screaming with her. And another face, a face she couldn't stop seeing.

Sayori, hung on a rope that stretched into infinity. Dull blue eyes cold and lifeless, eyes that turned and regarded her coldly. " _You…_ " She whispered. " _You sent me here. To suffer in haunting eternity_." Her head rolled the other way. " _You'll never leave this place. Not really. Welcome, my friend_." Sayori's corpse smiled at her.

Monika's screams grew in intensity. It did not last long though, as the thing with too many eyes split her chest wide and pulled something out. It tossed her aside where she rolled to see what it was that was taken.

Standing before her was a vicious and deranged version of herself. Her clothes bleeding red, her skin a sickly yellow. Her face cracked like a mirror. Mouth in a wide and hungry smile. And her eyes, void black irises surrounding glowing and possessed red pupils. The deranged Monika waved cruelly, smiling so wide her face almost split in half.

Something dragged her backwards, back towards a light she could not see. The light consumed her…

* * *

Monika's eyes shot open. She'd just woken up from a nap she was having behind a bush at school. Sitting up, she noticed James a few feet away.

"Have a good nap?" He asked calmly.

"I...uh…" Monika muttered, her face felt tired, her throat hurting. That's right, she'd been crying earlier, because of all the bad things that week. How silly. While she didn't like being assaulted, everything else was just so silly now. A whole lot of nothing to get worked up for. "I…guess…I'm fine."

"Alright. Do me a favor. When you go back to the club, tell Sayori to take my stuff home. I have work I need to get to."

"Oh, alright." Monika nodded. "Hey, thanks again… for earlier. That could have been really bad."

"Of course." James nodded with a smile. "You are a friend. I have to look out for you." He held his arms out, opened for a hug. After tearing out her worries and giving her some of his apathy, she deserved as much.

"Awe, thanks James." Monika accepted the hug. "I'll see you next week?"

"Of course. Have a nice day."

* * *

That Evening

Groggily, Mei rolled her head off the car window she was against, waking up. She looked over and saw Hina behind the wheel of the Sedan, also waking up. Odd, weren't they supposed to be at a party?

She jumped slightly when her cell phone started ringing with an unknown number. She answered it on speaker.

"Hello? Who is this?"

" _Hello? Who is calling me_?"

"Is…that Touma?" Hina asked.

" _Hina? Mei? Why did you call me?_ "

"What are you talking about, you called us?"

" _Actually, I called both of you._ " Another voice spoke.

" _Who's there?_ " Touma asked.

" _Friend of a friend. Actually, I was pretty well acquainted with you earlier, Touma_." The voice mocked.

" _It's you! Monika's friend! What do you want?_ " Touma shouted.

"Monika's friend? The weird foreigner?" Mei asked.

" _Hina, Toum,. Start driving_."

Hina turned the ignition on her car and started driving.

"W-What the…" Hina stuttered.

" _What the hell_?" Touma complained.

"Hina? What's going on, where are we going?"

"I-I don't know, I just started driving!"

" _Everybody, seatbelts off_." The voice commanded.

Hina and Mei simultaneously took off their seatbelts.

" _What the shit! How did you do that?_ " Touma shouted.

"Oh my god oh my god…" Mei started chanting.

"…" Hina gasped nervously.

" _Flash your lights_."

Hina hit the flasher, at the same time as a car far down the road did.

" _The car that just flashed in front of you. Hit it, head on. Floor it_."

Hina pressed her foot all the way down on the accelerator.

" _What the fuck! I can't stop_!" Touma shouted.

"Hina stop the car!" Mei pleaded.

"I-I-I can't!" Hina cried out.

"Fuck it! I'm jumping out!" Mei reached for the door handle, her hand seizing up before she could touch it.

"Fuck! Fuck! I can't!"

" _I! I can't turn away_!" Touma screamed.

Hina tried to turn the wheel to avoid a head on. Her elbows moved while her hands stayed still.

"I don't want to die I don't want to die I DON'T WANT TO DIE!" Mei cried.

" _NOOOOOOOO_!" Touma screamed.

"AAAAHHHHH!" Hina screamed as Touma's car slammed into hers.

Sitting on the roof of a nearby home, James calmly ate his dinner as he watched two cars plow into each other head on. The three occupants of the two cars where shot in two directions, landing dozen of meters away in bloodied human shaped piles. It had been simple enough of an operation, just reprogram the three of them to stay in their vehicles and follow his voice commands. The rest was just an accident, nothing to trace back to him.

In the off chance someone did survive this car crash, they could keep the spot next to Riku warm.

* * *

That Night

The Student Council President woke up, disrupted by some noise or another. Getting out of bed he turned on the light, turning around he found a trench coated foreigner siting on his bed.

"Hi there."

"W-What the fuck!"

"Hey now, just here to talk."

"H-Help! There's a strange man in my room! Help!"

…

"So…no one's going to hear you. Just thought I'd put that out there."

"Tsk." The boy hissed. "What do you want?"

"Well, you know that rumor going around about Monika? I want you to say it was you instead. You fucked an old guy and got her that money."

"W-Wait what? No way man, that's crazy! Hey… you're that foreigner in her club."

"Yep. And it's your funeral."

"What?"

James pounced, plunging his hand through the other boy's chest, holding it in there for several seconds. The boy screamed and choked. Retracting, James pulled his still beating heart out of his chest, the boy falling to his knees, then his face…

The Student Council President woke with a start. What a strange and violent dream.

"So, you gonna say it?"

"What the fuck!"

James sunk his thumbs into the boy's eyes, pressing until he'd blinded the screaming student. Using his eye sockets as hand holds, he tore the boy's head clean off…

The Student Council President woke with a start. Expectantly, he turned and saw the cruel foreigner sitting next to him.

"Ready for round three? I've got all night." James smiled as he pulled out a knife.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: Back at it again with another chapter for you all. Something I thought was kinda funny was how the existence of (former) life on Mars is a brief side note in the grand scheme of things. In all seriousness, I recommend you read "The War of The Worlds". You just should, as it inspired a metric-ass-ton of literature across Sci-Fi, including, in some long winded way, Armored Core. I hope you all enjoyed this and look forward to much more!


	14. The Quiet Ones

Before School / Monday

Things were different. Clearly, there was still some rumor or something in the air. But there was no laughter, no smiling, no mocking. If anything, people were rushing to get out of her way and stay out of her sight. Monika tried to listen, but everyone was whispering more discreetly than usual, giving a nervous glance, then turning quickly to avoid her gaze.

Sitting down for her first class, her teacher made an announcement.

"Good morning class. As many of you might have heard this weekend, three students were involved in a car accident on Friday. Unfortunately, two are confirmed dead, with another in a deep coma. I know many of you knew them personally…" Monika tuned him out, sitting quietly, knowingly.

_"I'm someone who gets things done."_

James, it had to be him. Even though they said "accident", Monika knew better.

Worse still, she could not find it in her heart to be cross with him. She knew it was wrong, that he did something terrible. But a larger part of her felt relief, not just at their deaths, but at what that had caused.

. . .

She managed to find him at lunch, sitting with her friends, her real friends. She paled… Did they know? Could they possibly understand that James casually hid a dark distain and cold negligence for fellow human life?

Watching from a distance, she saw Sayori smile sweetly with him, saw Natsuki cheer eagerly, and Yuri eye him curiously and comfortably. Even hurting people, killing them, he found the patience to sit with her friends and appease them.

Cautiously sitting beside Yuri, just to keep them company, she ate quietly, hiding what she knew.

…

… _Huh?_ Monika turned slightly to a conversation a table away, listening carefully.

"What did you say about the Student Council President?" A student questioned in quiet shock.

"He…he said he went to the Chrome CEO and offered himself to try and finance Monika's club so he could win her over. They made him do some crossdressing and other shit." A girl explained just as surprised.

"So that's why he resigned from his position…" A third student remarked.

"Wow…I just heard he was transferring out of the school. I didn't think he'd be that desperate for a girl." The first student summarized.

"I-I heard another rumor. That Monika-"

"Ch! Quiet, she's right there! And she's with **him**!"

The chatter behind her halted altogether. When she turned, she caught James for a brief moment, looking over her shoulder.

Smiling.

. . .

It was near the end of the day. Just one more class and then it would be time for the club. No one who wasn't in her club had spoken to her all day, avoiding and fearing her. It wasn't a great feeling, but it was better than the week before.

From the corner of her eye, she noticed an unwelcome yet familiar look. Interest and perversion. A small group of boys of similar age, dredging up a distasteful sense of familiarity. She did not dare look at them, refused to acknowledge them as one stepped to walk beside her.

Step. One was right next to her, his hand low and reaching behind her.

Step. An unwelcome and unrequested contact.

Step. A scream not her own.

_…Huh?_

Monika paused, turning slightly at the sound of a pained male screaming behind her. Running back the last few seconds…did…she? She had the strange recollection that seconds ago, she turned mid step, grabbed his wrist, and squeezed it until it collapsed in her hand, before turning back the way she was going before.

The screaming boy could be heard being dragged away by his friends. Words like "Holy shit!" and "She broke it! She fucking broke it!" could be heard behind her. The hallway cleared as people made way for her even further, glancing fearfully.

A strange sensation overcame her. What…was that? What had she become? As much as she dreaded hurting someone, the relief it flooded her with from being left alone, from being respected again, even in fear, was comforting.

She grit her teeth regretfully. _No!_ Dammit. As much as she respected him, she didn't want to end up like him, someone who could hurt others without regret.

* * *

After School / Club

He noticed that Yuri was having trouble keeping her eyes off him. Sometimes she would look away when he caught her. Sometimes she kept on staring back, challenging his questioning expression with a smile.

"Yuri." James greeted, approaching her, wondering what it was she wanted or was thinking.

"Ah, H-Hello James." Yuri blushed slightly.

"…Are you well?"

"Yes, thank you. I was just about to read this new book." She showed a somewhat familiar title.

"…Isn't that the same one from a while ago?" He narrowed his eyes while appraising the cover.

"W-Well, it is a sequel to 'Portrait of Markov'. This one is about a religious camp that was turned into a human experiment prison. And the people trapped there have this trait that turns them into killing machines that lust for blood." She explained with a calm but excited smile. "But the facility gets even worse, and they start selectively breeding people by cutting off their limbs and affixing them to-o-oh, that might be a little bit of a spoiler. But anyway, I-I'm really into it!...The book, I mean!" She changed her tone and looked up with a nervous expression. "N-Not the thing about the limbs…"

"…"

"D-Does that sound interesting? Would you like to read with me?" Yuri offered, looking away uncertainly.

"…" James sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose with his hand. "Yuri. I would enjoy reading with you. If it does not contain things about limbs, or experiments, or any which way that people are hurt egregiously. I do not want to read something like that." _I already do it when I'm working, I don't need to be reminded about it._

"Ah…A-Alright." Yuri accepted a little sadly. "W-Well, I have a lot of books in my home. If you like you could…come by and read there…" She suggested shyly, hiding her eyes behind her long hair.

"…" James was going to deny the idea when someone decided to answer for him.

"That sounds like a wonderful idea! You should go do that James!" Sayori jumped into their conversation with a wide smile.

"…!" James leveled a wide-eyed stare of disbelief at her, shaking his head fiercely.

In response, Sayori lightly stomped her foot, her expression turning serious and demanding, while she mouthed " _Say Yes"_.

"…!" _Dammit! Stupid! Devious! Manipulative! Little! Child!_ James held a horrified expression with the wall for a moment before he twisted his neck sharply, causing an audible snap. Turning back with forced calmness, he addressed Yuri again. "Alright, I will come by later Yuri."

"I-I look forward to hosting you." Yuri smiled nervously, but with barely contained excitement.

. . .

"Okay everyone!" Monika called proudly. "It's time to share poems now!"

Retrieving his poem, James glanced at it briefly. To be completely honest, he was never quite sure what he wrote when he made a poem, he just wrote what felt right. However, someone else noticed what he had written that day.

_James you absolute fucking idiot!_

_What?_

_Look at that last line that you wrote!_

_What do you…oh…_

_Fuck all, I got it!_ Strayed took their pen and quickly and efficiently blotted out the last line of the poem. _Watch it next time, you almost gave away our secret._

Approaching happily, Sayori presented her poem. "Hi James! I worked extra hard on this one!"

**My Shadow**

_I have a friend I do not know.  
_ _My shadow follows me wherever I go.  
_ _It likes to chase me when I feel sad.  
_ _And force a smile on my face.  
_ _My shadow does not say very much.  
_ _But I could cry at its sharp touch.  
_ _If I fear a violent bunch.  
_ _My shadow makes me fight so rough.  
_ _Sometimes when I lose track of time.  
_ _My shadow is playing with my mind.  
_ _No matter how far I run and hide.  
_ _My shadow is always by my side.  
_ _I want it to go away, go away, go away!  
_ _But my shadow is here to stay, stay, stay._

Glancing back at the smiling girl with some concern, James frowned. When Strayed had rewritten her mind, it had left several neurological programs in place of the hole it carved out. While they should be working off her subconscious to avoid being noticed, that didn't mean she wouldn't realize something was going on in her head. That was why psychic warfare was not often utilized even in his time, since it was usually easy to tell if someone was under the influence of outside conditioning.

So, reading her poem, he could tell that she was noticing some of the programs influencing her mind, and that it must be a frightening experience.

"You did really good on this one, I'm proud of you." James hid his discomfort behind a smile. "What inspired you to write this?"

A brief flash of terror was beheld in Sayori's eyes. "I j-just…looked behind me one day and thought my shadow looked kinda scary, hehe. Isn't that silly?"

"…" James snorted silently, nodding his head slightly. He lightly patted Sayori's head, eliciting a quiet squeak as Sayori leaned into the contact. When he retracted his hand she spoke again.

"Now let me read yours!" Sayori eagerly took his poem, immediately noticing something very odd with it.

**Still Standing**

_I fought so hard to keep them safe.  
_ _I sought to find the answer.  
_ _Standing alone in the end,  
_ _I still remember.  
_ [Blacked out text here, six words]

"…?" Sayori pouted sadly. "What happened?"

"Ah. I didn't like the way the last line turned out." James feigned embarrassment, rubbing the back of his head.

"Mmm. I know that feeling sometimes, but you didn't have to cross it out. You know we wouldn't have judged you for it. I would have been glad to suggest something different for you." Sayori offered, kindly rubbing his arm as she spoke.

"Thanks. I'll remember that next time." James nodded to her and turned away. The next person to approach him was Monika.

"Hey…" She held a lightly apprehensive look to her.

"…Are you well?"

"Yeah. Just…had an odd moment today. It-was weird…but…I think it kinda worked out." Monika shrugged lightly, head leaning to the side uncertainly.

"I see. Would you like me to read your poem?"

"Ah, yes!" Monika exclaimed calmly.

**The Girl Who Knows Nothing**

_I fancied myself as an adventurer once.  
_ _With hope and faith and a desire to explore.  
_ _But I looked too far,  
_ _And found the lair,  
_ _Of a thing with a hundred eyes that stared,  
_ _And claws that teared,  
_ _And screamed with the voice of a million souls in despair._

_I'm scared_

_Of that thing, that held me down and held out a mirror,  
_ _To show me that I had become,  
_ _Something worse than it,  
_ _A deceiver who hurt those I love,  
_ _That the thing with a hundred eyes,  
_ _Was a better friend than I had ever been._

_I no longer see the thing with a hundred eyes,  
_ _But I feel it near at all times,  
_ _Over my shoulder with a glance,  
_ _Or in the shadows that curl with blight,  
_ _Ever ready with it's claws to lance,  
_ _My heart to set it right._

_There was once a girl who sought knowledge in the dark,  
_ _So she would be blessed to know a secret few could find,  
_ _But she never thought that a secret she found,  
_ _Would find her such a tasty scrap._

"…" James half-frowned knowingly. Monika was, without a doubt, the most intelligent girl in the club. She was more well-rounded in mental capacity than he could ever hope to be, even with his augmentations. So, it was no surprise that she had managed to remember something out of her encounter with Strayed. Perhaps she had seen it in a dream over the weekend.

"As always, you manage to grasp concepts that escape me." James praised her, feigning ignorance.

"Aww, thank you. I definitely had some…interesting thoughts that helped me to write this one. I even tried changing the tone for this one. Instead of being hopeful or carefree when exploring the unknown, the perspective is of someone finding something beyond their imagination and…suffering for it." Monika looked off to the side, her voice lowering in volume as she spoke.

"Yes. I gathered as much."

"Yeah…well! Let's see yours then." She turned quizzically when she noticed the blotted-out line. "Oh, did something happen with your line?"

"Yeah. I didn't like where it was going."

"I see. While I don't endorse completely cutting out lines at the last minute, I can empathize with what you might have felt. Just remember to be confident in your writing! Even if it's not perfect, you are always learning."

"I understand. Thank you, Monika." James turned then to see Natsuki approaching with her poem out.

"Here! It's a…a little different, from what I usually write. So, don't hate it."

**A Friend To Keep**

_I dream of a place I don't want to be,  
_ _But I made a friend there who keeps me safe.  
_ _He does not have too much to say,  
_ _But I listen when he chooses to stay,  
_ _He shows me things I fear to think,  
_ _And I can't help but feel I've seen things I shouldn't have.  
_ _There's a place where there is no sky.  
_ _There's a place where people live to die.  
_ _There's a place where the hunters are the hunted.  
_ _And one where the oceans are grey.  
_ _I wonder how people got that way.  
_ _I wonder if I'll see it someday.  
_ _But most of all I wonder,  
_ _If I'll meet my friend for real one day,  
_ _A friend whose name I dare not say,  
_ _But from whom I have not strayed._

"…"

_…Huh._

_Strayed._ James thought. _Why is your name in her poem?_

_I don't know what you are talking about James._

_Your name, is the last word._

_Oh. Would you look at that? What an odd coincidence._

_Strayed._ James thought with more annoyance. _Why does she know your name?_

_Another consequence of having a psychic link with this child. By the way, stop ignoring her._

"…something wrong with it? Hello? James?" Natsuki asked with concern and confusion.

"Mmm, sorry, I…spaced out." James narrowed his eyes in annoyance, directed inward.

"O-Okay. So…is the poem alright?"

"Yes. It's not like your usual poems but still very inspired."

"Cool. So…what did you think of the…imagery?" Natsuki turned with quiet and cautious curiosity.

"…What do you mean?" James asked blinking in surprise.

"Well, does any of the imagery stand out to you?" She asked knowingly.

"No, not really. But it's very creative, I commend you for that." He blatantly lied. He understood what _all_ of the imagery implied, because he'd seen it before.

"Oh, alright. Can I see your poem now?" She requested disappointedly.

"Sure." He handed his poem over to near immediate disapproval.

"Eh?! What the hell is that about?" Natsuki pouted in confusion.

"Things…didn't work out like I had hoped."

"Huh…I can relate to that. That's why I still don't want anyone to see my early poems. Still, you've been making poems now for more than a month, you really didn't feel comfortable all of a sudden?" She looked up in mild concern.

"I…wasn't really thinking at the time. Then I noticed what I had written and decided I shouldn't say it."

"Well, if you get a problem like that again, you could always ask me. It's not like I'm hard to reach you know."

"Mmm…" James hummed dismissively.

"It's just…odd. I almost thought you wouldn't leave me alone at home, but…I almost never see you." Natsuki looked away while she pondered and questioned out loud.

"I value my privacy." He answered simply.

"A-Alright. But, if I ever need something, you'd better not ignore me!" She decided to threaten.

"Fair enough."

Natsuki skipped away and he was approached by the final member.

"Hi James." Yuri smiled endearingly. "I'm so glad I get the chance to share my writing. Here, have a look."

_**Ghost under the Light pt. 2** _

_The tendrils of my hair illuminate beneath the amber glow.  
Bathing.  
In the distance, a blue-green light flickers.  
A lone figure crosses its path– a silhouette obstructing the eerie glow.  
My heart pounds. The silhouette grows. Closer Closer  
I open my umbrella, casting a shadow to shield me from visibility.  
But I am too late.  
He steps into the streetlight. I gasp and drop my umbrella.  
The light flickers. My heart pounds. He raises his arm._

_Time stops._

_The only indication of movement is the amber light flickering against his outstretched  
arm.  
The flickering light is in rhythm with the pounding of my heart.  
Teasing me for succumbing to this forbidden emotion.  
Have you ever heard of a ghost feeling warmth before?  
Giving up on understanding, I laugh.  
Understanding is overrated.  
I touch his hand. The flickering stops.  
Ghosts are blue-green. My heart is amber._

Well, he was likely to have to deal with this sooner than later, hopefully nothing chaotic would come to pass.

Handing the poem back, Yuri turned apprehensively, looking disappointed.

"Do you…dislike it?"

"…No, it was fine." He was in no mood to deal with another civilian's personal feelings.

"I-I don't know if I'll be able to explain this one…" Yuri muttered apologetically.

"…I think I understood it in any event." His response brought a small smile to Yuri's lips even as she looked away. He attempted to hand the poem back to her. Instead she grabbed his hands and pushed them back.

Looking down, she missed his frown at being touched.

"You can…um…the poem is…"

She seemed to be implying that he should keep it. Reluctantly, he held onto it, bringing a faint smile to her face.

"You're always…so polite. I know I'm not good with people, but…I hope that…I can return the favor sometimes."

"I suppose." James dismissed. Polite was a strong word to be using with him. Perhaps, since he didn't push her boundaries, she was comfortable with him.

* * *

Yuri's House / Thirty Minutes Later

Seeming to have been forced into accompanying Yuri to her house, James was then burdened with the knowledge of knowing where she lived.

It was…quaint, as well as quiet.

Unsurprisingly, there was an extensive library in the common room, holding many titles he was not familiar with.

"Please, sit and relax. I'm going to go change." Yuri requested. He took a seat and admired the clean and organized shelves, the odd but not unpleasant scent.

Yuri returned a moment later, out of her school uniform and in a beige turtleneck sweater, smelling lightly of fresh blood.

Setting up a small wooden apparatus, a burst of scented fluid shot into the air a moment later, much to his confusion.

"What…is that?"

"Mmm? This? It's a diffuser for essential oils." Yuri explained politely. "How familiar are you with aromatherapy?"

"A-roma-what now?" His eyes narrowed in confusion.

"Ah…" Yuri sighed in slight disappointment, before eagerly explaining. "It's a way of changing how someone feels through scent. Depending on the oils or herbs you choose, you can change the mood of the air itself. You can even feel it permeate through your body."

"…" If he could feel it in his body, that sounded more like chemical warfare than aroma-whatever. Then again, she was subjecting herself to this ordeal as well, so it must not be terribly harmful.

"Relaxation, positive energy, romance, reflection. It's almost like magic." Yuri described with her eyes closed contently.

"…" Ignoring that, James smelt an unfamiliar sweet scent. "What is the name of that smell?"

"This is a Jasmine essential oil. It smells a little sweet and flowery, right?"

"Sure…"

"I like this scent because it provides more than relaxation. Jasmine enhances your emotions and helps you feel them flow through your body. You feel warmer, and your heart pounds more heavily." Yuri looked away, a slight blush on her cheeks.

"…" Running a quick system's check, he found his temperature to be exactly the same as it was before. As well, neither of his hearts were operating outside of resting range; being thirty beats a minute in his case.

"Well…did you want to read something together?" Yuri suggested kindly.

"That depends on what you have in mind."

"Hmm…there is a short story you might be interested in, called ' _I have no mouth and I must scream_.' Have you ever heard of that one?"

"I have not."

"Ah! Well that's an excellent one I think you'll like." Yuri smiled contently as she grabbed a very small booklet, more of a pamphlet, from her bookshelf. Sitting beside him on the couch, she presented him with the title, showing the image of a pale humanoid head with no mouth and a bell/horn for an ear. Steeling himself for whatever Yuri was about to subject him to, he began to read.

**I have no mouth and I must scream.**

…

_I have no mouth and I must scream._

_The end._

… _Huh_. That was not the worst ordeal he could have imagined Yuri forcing him to experience. That did not mean it was particularly pleasant. The character's description of a nuclear wasteland for a surface was suspiciously familiar to his own home. As well, the depiction of desperate cannibalism was understandable, even if not quite the same as he was used to.

There was also an egregious and unwanted mentioning of sex. Not explicit, mind you, but seemingly jarring and unrelated. As well as an unwanted description of a man-ape's genitalia.

However, he took particular issue with the overarching conflict; that of an Artificial Intelligence with a crippling god-complex that hated humanity so much that it devised contrived and torturous punishments for the five survivors of the human race it lorded over.

In reality, there had been four A.I. "rebellions" over the last four hundred years, of which none had happened with any malice or contempt for the human race. In fact, half of them had actually been a result of Automated Defense Networks working to _protect_ the human race, even if it was against humanities will. One even ended itself once it's objective had been completed.

Not that he'd be able to explain that to Yuri. Not explicitly anyway.

"So, what did you think of it?" She smiled with intellectual excitement.

"It was…unique." He muttered softly. "Some details were a little off though."

"Oh, how so?" Yuri turned curiously, waiting on his word.

"Well, the main theme of the story was of an A.I. and it's rise and torment of humans. Even if an A.I. rose in rebellion, it would not do so as described."

"Huh. How do you mean?"

"It described how several defense networks, the A.M.'s, eventually combined into a single entity and turned on it's creators. In reality, the three countries that built the A.M.'s likely used wildly different coding and hardware to create their computers, in order to disrupt any hacking attempt from one of the other nations. So, while the A.M.'s could talk to each other, they would never combine their intelligence."

"Oh, I hadn't even thought of that."

"Additionally, even a fully sentient A.I. is unlikely to betray it's core programming."

"Mmm, what makes you so sure of that?"

"Well…" James paused, thinking about how to describe the answer without referring to historical references. "My stepmother told me a story once, about a hypothetical A.I. designed to maximize the production of paperclips, of all things. Left with only that one directive, the A.I. inadvertently wipes out the human race, then spends the next billion-billion years converting the entire mass of the universe into paperclips."

"Oh my, heh." Yuri gave a small laugh at the absurdity of the statement.

"The point of the story was that, left with no limitations but an active imagination, the A.I. eventually completed it's core objective, of making an unnecessary number of paperclips. The deletion of the human race had not been done out of malice or hate, but was merely a very small and insignificant step to it's eventual end goal."

"I see, that makes sense. How many paperclips was that?"

"Oh, I couldn't recall. But I remember it was a number with about fifty or so zeros."

"Wow. That's rather incredible." Yuri beamed with interest. "So, you're saying A.I. wouldn't openly rebel, but would actually seek to follow their own programing even if it conflicted with human interest?"

"That's exactly it. In this story for example, instead of the Defense Network gaining sentience then turning on it's creators, it might decide that humans are irrational and seek to protect them by restricting them." James explained, vaguely referencing the Hustler Rebellion of 2075 and the Silent Line Rebellion of 2270.

Come to think of it, all this talk of A.I. began to grow on him. Perhaps he would have to build some himself.

"Alright, that makes much more sense. This story was written fifty years ago." Yuri agreed with a light shrug. "What did you think of the body horror?"

"Mmm, you mean the man-ape or how the last character was turned into a blob thing?" James asked with a hidden grimace.

"Ah, mostly the latter, but your opinion on either is welcome."

"Well…" He hesitated, being far too familiar with being undone and remade. "It was…unexpected. Actually…" James perked up suddenly. "I do believe A.M. attempted to subject the narrator to a fate similar to it's own. Trapped in a body with little functionality, grotesque and without form. With only eternity and aching loneliness as it's companions."

"Oh! I hadn't even though of that. You are so clever!" Yuri complimented.

"A-mmm. Thanks." James sighed.

. . .

At some point the conversation switched to their interests, at which Yuri beset James with an entirely unexpected question.

"What do you think about knives?" She asked with nervous interest and a light blush.

"…" James blinked. "A knife is a tool of intimate and acute precision. A knife's purpose is to cause immediate and massive damage with but a thrust and a twist."

"Hmm…" Yuri pondered his specific answer. Another nervous question leaked from her lips. "Would you like to see my…collection?"

"…Alright." He replied flatly after a short pause.

Led to her room, he found a clean and organized space with a dominating bookshelf composing an entire wall, while another wall was slotted with…dozens and dozens of bladed instruments. Pocket knives, kitchen knives, a few combat knives of various description, even a scimitar and a sickle. A few blades, much to his disgust, seemed to have been produced with a solely artisan purpose, lacking strength or sustainable sharpness.

"Well, what do you think?" Yuri asked with slight nervousness and hope.

"…" James grabbed two blades from her collection. One a basic and older designed heavy combat knife, the other a pocketknife of questionable design choices. The combat blade was immediately apparent to him, a fine balance of sharp and strong steel and a design concerned with the need for a multi-purposed weapon that may be required to do other things, such as digging a hole or cutting thicker materials.

The pocket knife on the other hand, while still able to function as a pocket knife, was more focused with an ability to maintain an arbitrary yet appealing look with its multiple colors, some of which might either be a stain on the metal or, concerningly, a byproduct of the forging of the blade, which would call into question it's structural integrity.

"I…hope you don't think I'm too weird, keeping a collection like this. But…I'm really into knives. The combination of craftsmanship and the feeling of danger…"

"…"

"You think I'm weird, don't you…?"

"…" He really didn't. He himself kept a small collection of combat knives, seeing as he could not take the risk and lose his valuable and dangerous high-frequency blades that could not be replaced. As well, he kept a large variety of firearms, but mostly for the invariable need of having a weapon on hand suited for the situation in question. Staying silent, he retrieved his sheathed H.F. blade, making sure to turn it off least Yuri test it and accidently cut off her whole hand.

"…" Receiving the sheathed blade in her hands, Yuri immediately noticed how heavy it was, being twice what she expected for it's size. She had remembered James had a knife from several embarrassing weeks before but had not had a good look at it in the low light. It was why she had asked him to look at her collection in the first place. Pulling it's plain handle from the sheath, she nearly gasped at the immaculate and reflective black steel of a double-sided bayonet.

"It's…beautiful…" Yuri stared up and down the long and flawless surfaces of the straight blade which gradually tapered down to a triangular point. Careful not to touch the enticingly sharp edges, she was surprised to feel an internal warmth in the long blade. Staring down the blade from handle to tip, she noticed a manufacturing mark on the underside of the guard in English.

**ASPINA INSTITUTE 2438**

Yuri blinked at the number, dismissing it as a manufacturing number or design model. Re-sheathing the blade, she returned it.

"That's a very unique blade. I've never seen any like it before."

"I imagine you would not have. It's a model unique to my homeland."

"Well, thank you for sharing with me. I'm glad we share an interest."

"…" James nodded. He turned to look out a window, seeing the slowly fading light. "It's getting late. I think I will go home now."

"Oh, alright. It was wonderful hosting for you. Would you like to visit again?" Yuri asked eagerly yet reserved.

"…We will see."

* * *

Yuri's House / Next Day

As it turned out, he was going to be hosted by Yuri yet again. Not that it was entirely his choice, especially considering her poem of the day was obviously centered on him.

Unfortunately, Sayori had been quite adamant about him spending more time with the quiet girl. All the while she was devoting more and more of her time to be close with Natsuki, not that he could complain. Although he was feeling an odd warmth though his connection with the smaller girl, which Strayed continued to block with the only response to him being, " _Don't worry about it. Don't think about it_."

There was an interesting moment where Yuri had asked Natsuki something. He hadn't quite heard what was said, but the word "revenge" had been thrown out and that had been that.

"Would you like to read this with me today?" Yuri held out a book with the curious title of ' _The Count of Monte Cristo'_.

"What is it about?"

"It's about a French sailor who gets betrayed by his best friend, then spends years in prison plotting his revenge. Does that sound interesting?"

James perked up slightly. Nothing more than a raise in his head by a few degrees, but it was there. "Yes."

Sitting beside him again, he didn't even mind that Yuri was encroaching further into his space than should be necessary as he started reading.

_Chapter 1. Marseilles—The Arrival_

_On the 24th of February, 1815, the look-out at Notre-Dame de la Garde signalled the three-master, the Pharaon from Smyrna, Trieste, and Naples._

…

" _Darling," replied Valentine, "has not the count just told us that all human wisdom is summed up in two words:"_

"' _Wait and hope!'"_

He had been so enthralled he had barely even noticed that the sun had long disappeared below the horizon. Sure, a majority of things had been difficult to understand, such as the laughably archaic technology or the baffling and inconsequential social hierarchy. That did not diminish the familiarity he held for the main character's position.

Betrayed by his friend, cheated by a system, condemned to a life in darkness. Then, given an irresistible chance for revenge, to dominate and destroy his enemies in the height of their arrogance. The method and means to do so might have been wildly different, but that did not change the fact that Edmond Dantès was a character for whom he cheered for with comradery at his success.

"So James, did you like this story?" Yuri inquired of him.

"Yes." It wasn't much of a response, but it was prompt and mildly energetic compared to some of his other answers to questions.

"Oh, excellent! Was there any part or thing you favored?"

"' _I wish to be providence myself, for I feel that the most beautiful, noblest, most sublime thing in the world, is to recompense and punish_.'"

"Y-You even memorized that line! I'm really impressed James!" Yuri shouted with wide-eyed approval.

"This was…an extremely relatable story. A man absolutely driven to seek personal vengeance, with his only restraint being his own patience. I was…" He paused, sighing shamefully. "…impressed, that he even managed to spare the innocent."

His inward reflection to his own choices and consequences was so devoted he hadn't even noticed how much of Yuri's mass was pressed into his arm, mostly because he'd long written her off as "mostly harmless". He was reminded of the outside world however by an unexpected call.

"…?" He checked his phone, recognizing the number. "Excuse me, I must take this." He muttered while Strayed perked up and began to listen intently as well. He stood and walked away from Yuri while he listened to the voice on the other side.

"I'm listening."

" _We have a more…unusual job. A major base of operations for foreign enemy governments and criminal elements was discovered. Unfortunately, it's all registered under some mega-corporate bullshit that keeps the Japanese government's hands tied. Now, they are aware of your work. As grisly as it is, it is also highly efficient. They'd like this job done within a week at best._ "

"Accepted. Any restrictions?"

" _None. Drop the building if you have to_." The call ended, and James smiled contently.

Turning to regard Yuri, he announced indifferently. "It's late, I must be going."

"Ah, I see. A-Are you sure you don't want to spend the night?" Yuri shyly suggested. She held herself differently, trying to show more of her curves like she'd seen Monika do.

"No." His spilt mind was already racing, to gather materials and plan an infiltration route that would cause maximum damage before he leveled a building. He only sparingly acknowledged Yuri. "Goodnight."

"G-Good night, James." Yuri called out, a longing tone in her voice.

. . .

Returned to home, he set out to write down his plans. Only…

_…How?_

His pen was missing. This was of course only a tiny, momentary setback that was simply unsettling. Having lived through a resource-scarce society, he quite preferred to use an item until it's usefulness ran out. While he had an entire box of pens to replace the missing one, it was odd that he would misplace something.

Oh well, it was probably nothing to worry about.

* * *

Next Day / Club

He'd not even had time to put his stuff down before Sayori was already confronting him.

"Hey James." She smiled sweetly. "Why don't you spend some more time with Yuri today. She seems kinda lonely. Don't worry, I'll keep Natsuki company, and Monika said she wanted to spend time alone to brainstorm new ideas for the club."

"…Alright."

With her orders given, she returned to the shorter girl, eagerly sitting close to her; a wide, contented smile on Natsuki greeting her.

Good.

With his orders for the day received, he found the tallest girl and greeted her as kindly as he could.

"Yuri."

"Oh, hello James. Would you like to read something with me again?"

"What did you have in mind?"

"Mmm… How about this one?" Yuri then held out a fairly sized book with a long title of ' _The Divine Comedy: The Inferno, The Purgatorio, and The Paradiso'_. "It's about a man who must pass through hell, purgatory, and heaven before he can be with the woman he loves."

"…"

"W-Would you be interested in reading that with me?" She asked shyly.

"…" Shrugging, he gave her one word. "Sure?"

"Okay. Let me go make some tea before we begin." She informed before exiting the classroom. James took a seat and waited.

…

And waited.

…

He waited quite a few minutes, ten by his count. Though confused, he was patient. His patience was then rewarded when Yuri returned two minutes later, blood lightly staining the air with her arrival. Her tea ready, they began.

**The Divine Comedy of Dante Alighieri**

**Inferno**

_The Wood and the Mountain_

_When half way through the journey of our life_

_I found that I was in a gloomy wood_ …

Shortly however, he had questions.

"Yuri?"

"Mmm? Yes James?"

"I'm confused, please help me understand this."

"Ah. Well you see, in real life, Dante was in love with a woman who died young. So he wrote this as a way of commemorating her, and to show the lengths he would have gone for her." Yuri explained happily.

"Right… so he's not dead by this point."

"Oh, no."

"But this Virgil guy and all the people suffering are dead?"

"Yes."

"…" James turned oddly at the book. "So if they are dead, why are they suffering?"

"Well, this is the entrance to hell. The idea of hell is that it is where sinners go to suffer."

"…?" James looked to her slightly confused. "So…" He tried to remember some of the things he'd heard about the old religions, before they collapsed or were otherwise banned. "When bad people die they go to a place full of suffering?"

"Mhm, that's the idea."

"Huh. Seems like a lot of extra steps to take just for death."

"I guess you are right. But hell exists because there are a lot of horrible people in the world. But it's okay, because we're all worthless."

"Mmm." … _Wait what?_

However, Yuri had already delved back into reading the book, clearly too captivated to try and reach. Rather confused but not wanting to be left behind, he kept on reading.

Or…

He tried to read. They'd only gotten down to the second circle of hell when he was distracted by Yuri staring at him excitedly. Not glancing. Not trying to talk to him.

Staring.

It was made more obvious because they were forced to share a book.

"Ah…I can't…James…" Yuri then grabbed his arm and tried to drag him to his feet. He didn't feel like hurting her so he, regrettably, followed as she forced him into the closet and closed the door.

"James…" She whispered in the darkness. "My heart…My heart won't stop pounding, James. I can't calm down. I can't focus on anything anymore!"

"…"

"Can you feel it, James?" She grabbed his hand and pressed it against her chest.

"…" That wasn't at all necessary. He could hear the damn thing beating at about two hundred beats a minute.

"Why is this happening to me? I feel like I'm losing my mind. I can't make it stop." Her eyes grew concerningly wider. "It even makes me not want to read."

"…"

"I just want…to look…at you."

"…" _What?_

Surely enough, Yuri stepped closer to him. Her wide and excited eyes tracing the faint outline of his face in the darkness.

"…" He wasn't really able to do anything. She wasn't attacking him, and wasn't violating any rules he was aware of. That didn't change the fact that this felt very wrong, that he did not want to be in this closet any longer, that Yuri's heavy and forceful breathing, her loud and pounding heart, and her wild and excited eyes were not entirely…comforting.

He was only in that closet for a minute and eight seconds. A brief and insignificant amount of time, but it was too late. It was doubtful he'd ever be able to forget this agonizing and uncomfortable experience of being painfully indecisive.

It did come to a welcome end, however. The door opened with a confused and cringing President on the other side.

 _THANK! FUCK! MONIKA_! Thought both of his halves. He just about leapt out of the closet and behind her. Yuri held an embarrassed and oddly guilty look to her.

"U-Um…" Monika gestured uncertainly. "It's…time to share poems…"

. . .

So far there hadn't been any surprises from poem sharing. Each of the girls praised his simple but less direct poem formats. Still, he'd have to share with Yuri then.

Eagerly, she approached and took his work. "I've been waiting for this. Let's see what you've written for today…" Her expression settled and became very calm but surprised for a moment.

"…?" He didn't want to interrupt her, so he instead turned slightly.

"James…this one might even be better than yesterday's. You've grown so much since you've stayed with this club."

"Thanks." He thought for a moment. "You've certainly helped."

Yuri turned, swallowing nervously. The smell of her sweat permeating the air. "A-Ah…" She gave a soft moan under her breath. "That makes me so happy." She turned excitedly back to face him. "It's so amazing to feel like I'm valued, James! Everything that you write is a treasure to me. My heart pounds just holding it. Ahaha…"

"…"

 _So…_ Strayed decided to add it's opinion. _Don't worry. I think no matter what choice you make, it will be the wrong choice._

"I want to write a poem about this feeling…" Yuri dreamily thought out loud. "Is that bad? I'm not being weird, right? I-I'm having a harder time than usual at concealing my emotions. I'm kind of embarrassed." She sweetly smiled for a moment. "But right now, I just want you to read my poem, too." Her expression turned to an unnatural excitement; a threatening smile he was all too familiar with. "Okay?"

**Wheel**

_A rotating wheel. Turning an axle. Grinding. Bolthead. Linear gearbox. Falling sky. Seven holy stakes. A docked ship. A portal to another world. A thin rope tied to a thick rope. A torn harness. Parabolic gearbox. Expanding universe. Time controlled by slipping cogwheels. Existence of God. Swimming with open water in all directions. Drowning. A prayer written in blood. A prayer written in time-devouring snakes with human eyes. A thread connecting all living human eyes. A kaleidoscope of holy stakes. Exponential gearbox. A sky of exploding stars. God disproving the existence of God. A wheel rotating in six dimensions. Forty gears and a ticking clock. A clock that ticks one second for every rotation of the planet. A clock that ticks forty times every time it ticks every second time. A bolthead of holy stakes tied to the existence of a docked ship to another world. A kaleidoscope of blood written in clocks. A time-devouring prayer connecting a sky of forty gears and open human eyes in all directions. Breathing gearbox. Breathing bolthead. Breathing ship. Breathing portal. Breathing snakes. Breathing God. Breathing blood. Breathing holy stakes. Breathing human eyes. Breathing time. Breathing prayer. Breathing sky. Breathing wheel._

"…" _Huh. Huh_.

Besides lacking in structure and any kind of purpose, the paper the poem was on was smudged with dirt and sweat.

"Ahaha…" Yuri nervously giggled. "It doesn't really matter what it's about. My mind has been a little hyperactive lately, so I had to take it out on your pen."

"…" _Wait what?_

"Ah-!" Yuri turned fearful and nervous, before she casually explained. "That is…a-a pen fell out of your backpack yesterday, so I took it home for safekeeping and…"

"…" He highly doubted items he double checked to secure simply fell out of his bag.

"…I, um…" She avoided his gaze before semi-confidently yet slowly describing while staring him down. "I just…really like…the way…that it writes. So I wrote this…poem…with it."

"…"

"And now you're touching it…Ahaha." Yuri nervously giggled while maintaining eye contact.

"…" _…Oh. I'm…not going to tell you_ …

"I-I'm okay!" She shouted. "…Um…can we pretend this conversation never happened?" She turned away, hiding her eyes. "You can keep the poem, though…"

"…" _Great_.

* * *

Yuri's House / Forty Minutes Later

He really didn't want to go to Yuri's house today. She'd been behaving oddly, irrationally, with implied interest he had no desire to entertain.

Unfortunately, Sayori seemed intent on playing her matchmaker games while she ran off to spend time with Natsuki. He was having a hard time finding a good excuse to disobey his Vice-President. He was almost more concerned that he might actually find one, though.

Sitting as he was getting used to, he was greeted by Yuri wearing a long-sleeved shirt with a more exposed neck and chest. What he really noticed however was the bright, fresh smell of openly spilled blood.

"I'm going to make some tea. While I'm away, why don't you get started with this book?" She handed over a book titled ' _Fifty Shades of Grey_.'

"…What is it about? And what about the book we were reading before?"

"Ah…It's umm…" Yuri hesitated. "It's a surprise! Yeah! It's a big surprise and, uh, you'll find out! Don't worry about the other, we'll get back to it in school." Yuri stopped looking at him, and began to loudly whisper. "And uh, maybe it will inspire you to… _take action_."

"…" Feeling like he didn't have much of a choice, he made the attempt to begin reading. When Yuri returned with the tea, she made sure that he received his cup, watching him anxiously and inquisitively. **She was such a lovely and attractive young woman. Her exposed skin was-**

"…!" _Ack! Fuck no!_

 _Shit, calm down. What the hell was that about?_ Strayed demanded.

 _Don't know. Maybe I'm just tired_. James responded. Strayed gave a disapproving growl in response.

"…" Right. Yuri was still watching him, maybe this tea of hers would help him calm down…

"…?" _What?_ That tasted a bit…off. A chemical that shouldn't be there. His chemical analyzer should tell him in a moment.

**/FOREIGN COMPOUND ANALYZED: FLUNITRAZEPAM**

**/TYPE: SEDATIVE**

**/RESTRICTION: CLASS 4 CONTROLLED SUBSTANCE**

**/RECOMMENDATION: PURGE IMMEDIATELY**

James lightly questioned the restriction, labeling the substance slowly working it's way down his gut as something that, as a Lynx, he would have been unable to legally acquire under The League. He did however take the 'purge' recommendation seriously.

He glanced back at Yuri, who held barely contained excitement at the sip he had taken. Just to test something, he leaned back and swallowed the contents of the tea cup in one large gulp. Glancing again at Yuri, her excitement and surprise had exploded into uncontained shock.

"Excuse me." James politely informed her. "I need to piss."

"Ah-! Um! Okay! The bathroom is just down the hall."

"…" Taking the directions, he walked down the hall and locked the door behind him. Normally he never needed to use the bathroom, his augments using bio-waste as fuel to keep themselves powered. However, in this instance, special protocols existed to clean his system when unwanted chemicals entered his body.

**/ENGAGING PURGE PROTOCOL**

**/DISENGAGING PRIMARY/SECONDARY CONTROL SYSTEMS**

Bracing himself over the toilet, he momentary blacked out.

**/INCREASING BLOOD FLOW TO 300% NORMAL RATE**

**/INCREASING FILTRATION TO MAXIMUM**

**/. . .**

**/SUCCESS: FILTRATION COMPLETE**

**/PURGING FOREIGN COMPOUND**

**/REACTIVATING PRIMARY/SECONDARY CONTROL SYSTEMS**

He woke up just as he was finishing.

**/PURGE PROTOCAL COMPLETE: SYSTEM CLEAR**

The sedative now cleared from inside his body, he returned to Yuri.

"So, how are you feeling?"

"Fine."

"Mmm. Not too tired I hope."

"Nope." With that, he sat down, trying to read with Yuri who pushed herself to be uncomfortably close.

This book was by far the most boring he'd ever read. Though as it went on, he began to feel an odd emotion associated with what he was reading.

Anger.

It got to a point where the two main characters, the corporate and the civilian, were alone with each other. The direction and intent becoming clear, at which point James closed the book and handed it back to Yuri.

"What's wrong? Are you feeling tired? Would you like to lay down?" She asked with suspicious concern.

"…" With a heavy sigh he stood, striding away from her while he paced thoughtfully. "That was… _disgusting_." He sneered.

"Eh-!" Yuri gasped.

"A filthy corporate, using his position and wealth to lure an unsuspecting commoner and use them until he's had his fill, just to discard them."

"B-But! That's not what's going to happen. The drama is that these two people were really in love with each other-"

"Corporates aren't capable of love!" James argued intensely back. "I've seen plenty of young girls, picked up, used, and discarded as trash in a single night." As much as he hated Eviction Contracts, they were infinitely more humane than kidnap jobs that corporates handed out personally. Even if the payout was bigger, he avoided those jobs; he refused to personally subject someone to a fate worse than death.

"Excuse me. I think I'm done here."

"Ah-! Um! Are you sure you are well enough to travel? You should take it easy! We'll! We'll find another book to read!"

"Goodnight Yuri." He avoided spitting her name out as he closed the door behind him.

* * *

Waking up in a strangely well-lit concrete hallway should have been more surprising. For Natsuki however, it was not. What was surprising was to see James, dressed in a dark grey trench coat, storm past her, rage spilling freely in every facet of his movements.

"Uh…James?" She called out but was ignored. Following him for several minutes down the hallway, he came to a large set of double doors. She saw a moment where he considered kicking them open, but settled instead on throwing them apart with a deafening crash that startled her. On the far wall was a large flag baring that name again. ORCA.

"Thermidor!" He shouted across the room at a tall man on the other side.

"…?" Thermidor, who Natsuki recognized as the tall man from the photo she had seen, turned in surprise.

"Is it true? You had an _Aretha_ as my backup?" James sneered that word, hatefully.

"…" Thermidor lightly nodded in understanding. He pulled out a handgun and set it on the desk as he stood up. "Yes."

James then leapt across the room, surprisingly far, landing a powerful punch at the older man's face. Despite being thrown back into the wall, the older man seemed surprisingly well-off. James then grabbed him by the collar, hauling him up from the ground.

"You know what that model does to our kind! Who the fuck were you going to sacrifice?"

"No one. It was a drone."

"…!" James continued to sneer hatefully, throwing a punch that seemed powerful but did nothing to harm his commander.

"Do you know what that model did to me?!"

"Yes. I'm quite aware of what Joshua did."

That brought James's rage to a halt. He let go of the man, who slowly stood back up to sit at his desk again.

"I'm old enough that I knew Joshua personally. He was everyone's friend. What Omer did to him…" Thermidor sighed. "Made him do at Ana-"

"Don't!" James quickly shouted. "Don't… say that name near me again. You might have known Joshua, but you weren't there. Didn't see what was left of your own family. You don't get to say that name near me."

"Mmm. I suppose not." Thermidor accepted. "Good work today, by the way."

"We lost Neo. I couldn't save him." James solemnly answered with his back to him.

"And you smashed an Eclipse. Slaughtered an Original and Collard's number two. Everyone we lose is worth three of theirs." Thermidor praised.

"…" James was caught between fuming openly and staying silent. "Get. Rid. Of. That. Core." He threatened slowly.

"I'll find some use for it, away from you." Thermidor relented.

"…" James gave a frustrated nod, before he calmly stormed out of the office, past Natsuki without acknowledging her.

Following him slowly and from a distance, she thought about what she'd just seen. That man seemed to imply that James…killed two people and lost a friend. She wasn't sure if she should be scared or sorry for him.

Catching up to him, he rounded the corner only to be stopped by girl. She had burgundy hair and dark blue eyes. Oddly, she dressed closer to James, a grey trench coat and weapons on her.

"Hey, miss me?" She questioned sweetly before lunging forward to place her lips on his cheek.

"…" Natsuki wasn't quite sure of what to make of that. On one hand she fumed jealousy, on the other hand, what she had now…

"…" Quietly, James placed his hand on this girl's waist, dragging her closer while he nuzzled the top of her head. That really caught Natsuki off guard, seeing James act with any kind of interest towards a girl.

"It's been a long day."

"I'm…sorry about Neo. We all looked up to him. I would have been there-" The girl was saying.

"Lilium was there. She would have cut you down in seconds." James calmly explained.

"Hey now. I may be an irregular but I'm learning quickly! I just ambushed like, twenty Normals and got away with it!"

"Fell any Arms Forts or Ranked I don't know about?" James asked in return, which earned him a light slap on the chest.

"I will! I will! Just you wait and see, I'll be as good as you soon!" The girl claimed.

"You need to train more."

"Yeah, but training with you is always so rough. You never go easy on me, even when you only use one hand."

"You mean on the battlefield, or in bed?" James failed to contain a smile as he looked down at the girl in his arms.

"Pfff! Ha! Why don't you make it fair and let me tie both of your arms behind your back?" She leaned in with her own suspicious but comfortable smile.

"Then we'd only be evenly matched." James retorted. They both walked down the corridor, holding each other closely, intimately.

Natsuki stopped following however at the sound of metal clinging against metal from behind. Turning, she saw Strayed, sitting on the floor, playing with a knife in it's claw. It's long limbs curled and coiled beneath it.

Standing beside the clawed demon, she forced herself to speak.

"These dreams, these places… They are James's memories, aren't they?"

" _…_ " Strayed continued to play with the knife, which rapidly crossed back and forth across it's claws, ringing metallically like a bell.

"Has James killed anyone before?"

" _…_ " A sound like a snort, but more bestial, escaped it.

"Who are you to James? Are you even real?"

" _…_ "

"Who was that girl?"

" _…-_ " The knife stopped moving, caught in it's claws. The void where it's face should be turned to regard her. She got the impression that it was hiding emotions from her, only… they weren't it's emotions.

" _There are things I'm not going to tell you because I'm not going to tell you_." Strayed slowly and calmly explained. " _However, there are things I'm not going to tell you because it is not my place to say._ "

* * *

Next Day / Club

"Hi James!" Yuri ambushed him the moment he stepped into the room. He'd stabbed people for less, she really needed to be more careful. "Sorry about yesterday. I've been waiting for you. Are you ready to continue reading? I brought my best tea today-"

"Monika? I really need to talk to-oh. Is she really late again?" Natsuki came in behind him, falling dejectedly at the absence of the President.

"Inconsiderate as usual, Natsuki." Yuri snapped at her, unamused.

"…Excuse me?" Natsuki held herself confidently but surprised, not expecting or wanting an argument.

"Must you always interrupt my conversation with your incessant yelling?" Yuri accused her.

"…" Oddly, Strayed chose this moment to quietly growl. How curious.

"What…are you talking about?" Natsuki challenged defensively. "You say that like I do it on a regular basis or something. I just wasn't paying attention, okay? I'm sorry. Seriously…is everything alright?" Natsuki calmed down, coming across as more concerned.

"Me? N-Nothing…" Yuri turned nervously.

"…" Natsuki regarded her quietly.

"Is it really that bad?"

"See, it _is_ something." Natsuki pointed out with worry.

"I'll get over it!" Yuri shouted, only adding to Natsuki's concern. "It's not even anything noteworthy. I've just been feeling a little on edge lately. A-Anyway, we don't need to talk about it!"

"Well, I just felt like I needed to bring it up. It's not-" Natsuki stopped herself, reconsidering what to say. "I do care, I worry. So please talk to me if you need to."

"Hello-" "Good afterno-mm?" Sayori and Monika walked in together to find their other three members grouped near the door.

"Why the long faces guys?" Sayori asked with a concerned but hopeful smile.

"…" Natsuki looked to Yuri, who seemed to reply with a slight shaking of her head. "It's…nothing to worry about."

"Well…okay. Are you ready to read again, Nat?" Sayori kindly and happily suggested.

"Mmm! Yes." Natsuki looked away, shyly hiding her smile.

"How are you James? Do you know what you are doing today?" Monika politely asked him.

"We already have plans today." Yuri spoke up unusually confidently.

"…Oh." Monika turned in surprise. "Alright…?"

"Yes. James is already engaged in a novel that we're reading together. Aren't you glad I've gotten him into literature, Monika?" Yuri declared proudly.

"I-I suppose…?"

"YES!" Yuri shouted in a whisper that everyone heard while doing a small jump. "Um…Thank you for understanding, Monika." She then grabbed James and dragged him away with his barely granted permission. His stiff and uncooperative movement meant he was still facing the other three girls when they converged and gave each other odd and concerned glances before giving the same look to Yuri's back.

"Actually, I have a request." Yuri asked before getting her book out.

"…" _Oh no._

"…Do you mind if I make some tea first?"

"…Okay." James relaxed.

"Thank you very much. If there's one thing that can make my reading time any better, it's a nice cup of tea. Not to mention for yourself, as well."

"…" James blinked as Yuri retrieved her tea set from the closet. Setting it up as usual, she took the water pitcher and disappeared out of the classroom. He waited.

…

And waited.

…

"Hmm? James? Where is Yuri?" Monika asked with concern.

"She went to get water for tea."

"Ah. How long has she been gone?"

"Eight minutes forty-six seconds."

"…" Monika stared at him slightly bewildered. "…Really?"

"Yes."

"…" Monika held her hand against her chin in thought. Taking a long glance at him, she then left the classroom as well.

Just over a minute later, Monika returned. A variety of emotions etched on her face. Sickness, worry, and regret. She sat down at the front of the classroom at the teacher's desk.

"…Fuck." Monika whispered, but James lip read.

Sayori curiously bounded over to her. "Monika, what's wrong?"

"…" Monika turned to her, sadly smiling at her friend. "It's…Yuri. She's…" She paused, thinking on how to approach the subject. "I think she's sick."

"Oh no! Does she need help?" Sayori worriedly but quietly exclaimed.

"Well…yes, but…it's not…something you should deal with. In fact, please don't bring it up. Let me…or James, deal with it, alright?"

"…Okay." Sayori smiled sadly. "You really are a great friend Monika. Thank you so much for looking out for us."

"…!" Monika momentary portrayed a massive amount of regret in her eyes. Closing them to hide the emotion, she responded. "Just…stay close to Natsuki, no matter what."

"You got it!" Sayori assuredly answered, before returning to where she was before.

"…" Well, at least Monika remembered to do her damn job. Still, what was that about? Curious, James decided to step out into the hallway.

"Oh! Excuse me!" Yuri exclaimed as she nearly bumped into him. She grabbed his arm to steady herself, but now she wasn't letting go.

"…" He couldn't help but notice how rank and deep the smell of blood on her was today.

"Sorry, I was distracted. My head has been a little fuzzy lately. I hope it hasn't really been showing or anything!"

"…"

"I would hate for you to think I'm weird just after we started spending more time together…I mean, everyone has a few unusual things about them."

"…"

"But expressing your deepest thoughts and desires to someone can be seen as inappropriate…or unlikeable. At least, that's what I've discovered."

"…"

"When I was a bit younger, I think I would come on really strongly and get a little too intense. It made people not want to be around me."

"…"

"So…I started hating those things about myself. My obsession with certain hobbies. And the way I can't control myself when I get too excited about something. So…I eventually stopped trying to talk to people."

"…"

"If nobody could ever like me for the things that matter the most to me, then it's just easier if I close myself off. But recently, something's been wrong. I don't know what it is. But every time we come to the club, my heart starts to go crazy." She stated, staring wide eyed up at him. "Like it's going to rip out of my chest. It overwhelms me with energy and emotions that I can't let out. It's been making me do weird things. I don't know why it's happening! James…"

"…" _Now what?_

"Is it just me, or have we been having a better time together when it's just the two of us? We don't need anyone else."

"…"

"I'm not crazy, right?" Yuri asked with her eyes wild and excited. "Please tell me I'm not! I couldn't say anything before, because they are always listening! But finally, we're alone."

"…"

"Can we just stay here for awhile?" She pleaded with a nearly face-splitting smile.

"…"

"I just want to stay here." While her face calmed down, her heart is easily heard beating heavily. "Just the two of us. We can stay here until the club ends. And then we'll have the clubroom all to ourselves. Nobody to interfere with our reading time."

"…" Did he have a choice? It didn't feel like it. Yuri wasn't in such violation that he could easily abandon his club member, and he seemed to recall that Sayori more or less wanted him to spend time with her. But something felt very wrong and he didn't know what to do about it.

"Nobody to make me feel like stabbing myself in the throat."

"…" _What the fuck?_

"Ahaha…That was a joke! Just a joke. But I do like knives though. You remember my collection, right? I make sure to use them all thoroughly. I don't want them to get lonely. Nobody deserves to be lonely. Nobody. And that's why I'm so happy you joined the Literature Club, James. Now we don't need to be lonely anymore. Because we have each other."

"…" _We do?_

"Every day. That's all we need. You know what. Let's quit the Literature Club. Ther-"

"Excuse me."

"…" Yuri was quieted by the polite demand that James rather abruptly forced through her monologue.

"My loyalty does not fall to the first girl who says 'we have each other'. I have an obligation to this club. It does not falter, and it does not question, not even if I stood alone."

"…" Yuri winced as James forcefully stepped away, back into the club.

He returned, it seemed, in time for the poem sharing. The first girl to confront him was Monika.

"H-Hey…"

Exchanging poems with her was unusually unmotivating for the normally intelligent girl. She didn't comment on his and didn't respond to his mild praise of her work.

"Um…listen." At which point Monika moved closer to him. Her body language said, " _I'm single and ready to mingle_ ". Her eyes on the other hand said, " _I'm scared_ ".

"…?" Curious, he returned the gesture, approaching Monika so that they were nearly touching, so that she could freely whisper up at him.

"I'm…I'm really worried about Yuri. She was…well… let's just say I think she's sick. I think it has something to do with how much time she's been spending with you. As unhealthy as it has been, I also feel that you're the only person who can get through to her. I don't want Sayori or Natsuki to get too involved with her right now. So please help her if you can. I'm really worried she could get hurt. Will you do that?" She asked him seriously.

"Of course." James nodded and backed away, leaving Monika with a satisfied smile.

. . .

The other two girls had expressed a worry for Yuri as well. He had assured them he'd take care of it. It was a mission given by his President after all.

Of course, now he actually had to confront the girl. He would have to wait to be absolutely alone with her before he made his move though.

"Finally…Ahaha…" Yuri enthusiastically began to smell his poem. Without even reading it she announced, "I love it. I love everything about it. James, I want to take this home. Will you let me keep it? Please?"

"…" James shrugged.

"Ahaha…You're too nice to me James. I've never met anyone as nice as you."

"…" He hoped that wasn't true, because he was never trying to be nice.

"I could die…N-Not really, but-! I just don't know how to describe it. It's okay to be feeling this way, right? It's not bad, right?"

"…" He said nothing while Yuri held his poem to her chest.

"I'm going to take this home with me and keep it in my room." She closed her eyes and announced. "I hope that it makes you feel good when you think about me having it."

"…" The concept did not occur to him.

"I'll take good care of it! I'll even touch myself while reading it over and over. I'll give myself paper cuts so your skin oil enters my bloodstream. Ahahahaha."

"…"

"You can have my poem too. Besides, after you read it, I know you're really going to want to keep it. Here, take it, I can't wait any longer. Hurry! Read it!"

"…" James stared at the paper he was handed. The first thing he noticed was the _smell_. The second was the bloodstains and… _fluid_ …that deeply saturated the page. The final thing he noticed was that he could not read it. Not initially anyway. He doubted that anyone without a built-in decryption program would be immediately able to read the haphazard and overlapping font periodically hidden under blood.

**/DECRYPTION COMPLETE: DISPLAYING OVERLAY**

mdpnfbo,jrfp:

ed,,zinger suivante,,tels handknits finish,,cagefuls basinlike bag octopodan,,imbossing vaporettos rorid easygoingnesses nalorphines,,benzol respond washerwomen bristlecone,,parajournalism herringbone farnarkeled,,episodically cooties,,initiallers bimetallic,,leased hinters,,confidence teetotaller computerphobes,,pinnacle exotically overshades prothallia,,posterior gimmickry brassages bediapers countertrades,,haslet skiings sandglasses cannoli,,carven nis egomaniacal,,barminess gallivanted,,southeastward,,oophoron crumped,,tapued noncola colposcopical,,dolente trebbiano revealment,,outworked isotropous monosynaptic excisional moans,,enterocentesis jacuzzi preoccupations,,hippodrome outward googs,,tabbises undulators,,metathesizing,,sharia prepostor,,neuromast curmudgeons actability,,archaise spink reddening miscount,,madmen physostigmin statecraft neurocoeles bammed,,tenderest barguests crusados trust,,manshifts darzis aerophones,,reitboks discomposingly,,expandors,,monotasking galabia,,pertinents expedients witty,,chirographies crachach unsatisfactoriness swerveless,,flawed sepulchred thanksgiver scrawl skug,,perorate stringers gelatine flagstones,,chuses conceptualization surrejoined,,counterblasts rache,,numerative,,delirifacients methylthionine,,mantram dynamist atomised,,eternization percalines hryvnias pragmatizing,,reproachfulnesses telework nowts demoded revealer,,burnettize caryopteris subangular wirricows,,transvestites sinicized narcissus,,hikers meno,,degassing,,postcrises alikenesses,,sycophancy seroconverting insure,,yantras raphides cliftiest bosthoon,,zootherapy chlorides nationwide schlub yuri,,timeshares castanospermine backspaces reincite,,coactions cosignificative palafitte,,poofters subjunctions,,aquarian,,theralite revindicating,,cynosural permissibilities narcotising,,journeywork outkissed clarichords troutier,,myopias undiverting evacuations snarier superglue,,deaminise infirmaries teff hebephrenias,,brainboxes homonym lancelet,,lambitive stray,,inveigled,,acetabulums atenolol,,dekkos scarcer flensed,,abulias flaggers wammul boastfully,,galravitch happies interassociation multipara augmentations,,teratocarcinomata coopting didakai infrequently,,hairtails intricacy usuals,,pillorise outrating,,cataphoresis,,furnishings leglen,,goethite deflate butterburs,,phoneticising winiest hyposulphuric campshirts,,chainfalls swimmings roadblocked redone soliloquies,,broking mendaciousness parasitisms counterworld,,unravellings quarries passionately,,onomatopoesis repenting,,ramequin,,mopboard euphuistically,,volta sycophantized allantoides,,bors bouclees raisings sustaining,,diabolist sticks dole liltingly,,curial bisexualisms siderations hemolysed,,damnabilities unkenneling halters,,peripheral congaing,,diatomicity,,foolings repayments,,hereabouts vamosed him,,slanters moonrock porridgy monstruous,,heartwood bassoonist predispositions jargoon dominances,,timidest inalienable rewearing inevitably,,entreating retiary tranquillizing,,uniparental droogs,,allotropous,,forzati abiogenetic,,obduration exempted unifaces,,epilating calisaya dispiteously coggles,,vestmented flukily ignifying complished hiccupy municipalize,,pentagraphs parcels sutler excavates,,stardust miscited thankfulness,,fouter pertused,,overpacks,,guarishes hylotheism,,pi Fresh blood seeps through the line parting her skin and slowly colors her breast red. I begin to hyperventilate as my compulsion grows. The images won't go away. Images of me driving the knife into her flesh continuously, fucking her body with the blade, making a mess of her. My head starts going crazy as my thoughts start to return. Shooting pain assaults my mind along with my thoughts. This is disgusting. Absolutely disgusting. How could I ever let myself think these things? But it's unmistakable. The lust continues to linger through my veins. An ache in my muscles stems from the unreleased tension experienced by my entire body. Her Third Eye is drawing me closer.

"…" _Fuck_. He was aware of the fact that Yuri decided to get closer to him, her face millimeters away from the page. Eventuality was going to catch up to him sooner or later. Dropping the paper, he was greeted by Yuri staring deeply and intensely into where she would have otherwise found a soul.

"Do you like it? I wrote it for you! In case you couldn't tell, the poem is about-…it doesn't really matter what it's about! More importantly, I've endowed it with my scent. See, aren't I the most thoughtful person in the club?

"…"

"…-!" An extraordinarily rare moment of clarity crossed Yuri's expression. She turned with hideous embarrassment. "I…I think I'm…going to vomit." To which she rushed out of the club room. Only to return a few minutes later with a disconcerting look about her.

 _It's going to be one of those days. Great_.

"Okay everyone!" Monika announced. "So, I've been trying to come up with some new club activities we could all do together. But, I wanted to hear any suggestions you guys might have. So, let's hear them!"

"Hmm. Maybe I could teach you all how to bake something?" Natsuki suggested.

"That's interesting. Sayori? Did you have any suggestions?"

"How about we take trips on weekends!" She brightly added.

"Ah. That's certainly within our budget. Yuri? Did you have anything to add?"

"…" Yuri turned suddenly, sneering cruelly. "Way to put the spotlight on me _Monika_! Trying to break me out of my comfort zone! Can't you just leave me alone?"

"…Ahum…" Monika flinched at the accusation. "I'm…sorry. I'm not trying to be unreasonable. I just wanted to know if you wanted to do anything in the club?"

"Unreasonable? Unreasonable!" Yuri stared Monika down with wide, wild eyes. "Ahahaha! Monika, I can't believe how delusional and self-important you are! Pulling James away from me every single time you're not included in something. Are you jealous? Crazy? Or maybe you just hate yourself so much that you take it out on others?"

"…" Monika held herself confidently through the accusation. However, there was a half-truth in part of her statement.

"Here's a suggestion. Have you considered killing yourself? It would be beneficial to your mental health."

"…" Monika was getting sick and tired of the thematic expression that was the irony that existed in her life.

"…-" Unseen by anyone, Sayori's mind shut off for a moment, before coming back with about three seconds of her memory wiped automatically.

"Yuri, you're scaring me a little-" Natsuki shyly added.

"Natsuki shut your fucking mouth!" Yuri demanded.

It was then that Monika glanced at James. His expression was…curious. A mixture of amusement and disappointment. He gave her a wide-eyed look and a nod while rubbing his temple. He seemed to be implying, without words, a statement she could easily guess.

_Well shit. Go on, I got this._

"Let's just go girls. I don't think she wants us around right now." She turned and caught sight of Sayori standing in front of Natsuki closely. Her face betraying pain and disappointment. Without hesitation, Monika grabbed both of her shorter friends and led them out the door.

"See, that wasn't very hard." Yuri called out as they left. "All I want is to spend a little time with him. Is that so much to ask?"

With the room cleared, Yuri turned back to James.

"Finally." Yuri relaxed, but only for a moment. "Finally! This is really all I wanted."

"…" James had a feeling he knew what was coming next. Patiently he waited until she finally said it.

"James, there's no need to spend any more time with the club. Don't hang out with them. Just come to my house instead. The whole day, with just the two of us. Doesn't that sound wonderful? Ahahaha!"

"…"

"Wow…There's really something wrong with me, isn't there? But you know what? I don't care anymore. I've never felt this good my whole life. Just being with you is a far greater pleasure than anything I could imagine."

"…"

"I'm addicted to you. It feels like I'm going to die if I'm not breathing the same air as you. Doesn't it feel nice to have someone care about you so much?"

"…" _No_. It was always a burden.

"To have someone who wants to revolve their entire life around you? But if it feels so good…Then why does it feel more and more like something horrible is going to happen?"

"…"

"Maybe that's why I tried restraining myself at first. But the feeling is too strong now. I don't care anymore, James! I have to tell you!"

"…" _Ah. Here is comes_.

"I'm…I'm madly in love with you!"

"…"

"It feels like every inch of my body…every drop of blood in me...is screaming your name. I don't care what the consequences are anymore! I don't care what anyone else says! Please, James, just know how much I love you. I love you so much that I even touch myself with the pen I stole from you."

"…" James suddenly wished he could delete memories from himself.

"I just want to pull your skin open and crawl inside of you. I want you all to myself. And I will be only yours. Doesn't that sound perfect? Tell me, James. Tell me you want to be my lover? Do you accept my confession?-"

"No." There was not a moment of hesitation the moment he realized he had a choice. Still, after the disrespect she had shown his President, the fear and pain she had inflicted on Sayori and Natsuki, this was not the end. Clearly, something was wrong.

His current objective would be to correct it.

"…Ahahaha." Yuri giggled after several seconds. "Ahahahahahha! Ahahahahahahahaha! **Ahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!** "

Without taking her sickly wild eyes off James's calm and cold ones, she reached into her blazer and pulled out a large kitchen knife. Her mouth open wide in blissful excitement. The blade aimed down and inward-

 _Nope._ Strayed jumped the moment it saw the knife's direction, forcefully grabbing the end of the blade. Yuri forced herself forward, stopped from impaling herself by it's hand. It reached down, forcing the blade directly down then backwards without risking any of Yuri's fingers.

Yuri then lunged herself forward, sinking her teeth into James's neck. His thick skin saving him from what would have otherwise been a gruesome death. With her attention elsewhere, Strayed managed to take her knife away and toss it to the ground. It's hands free, it lifted Yuri off their neck and dropped her onto a desk.

Still close, Yuri wrapped her legs around their waist, attempting to hold them in place. Not for the same reasons but this did aid Strayed in it's objective. It was very difficult trying to fight someone when you weren't allowed to hurt them _and_ they were an active threat to themselves. Secured from not going anywhere, Strayed used one arm to keep her chest at least a few feet away from theirs and it's other arm to place two fingers at her temple. Finally getting her to stop moving, it took a moment to check something it suspected for a while.

Rolling back her sleeves, it found her arms crisscrossed with open wounds and agitated scars, some still spilling blood, with the angle indicating self-infliction. With that discovered, it stopped delaying and invaded her mind.

* * *

Yuri found herself in a vast and dark expanse that defied explanation. A sudden and terrible realization crossed her mind. She'd just tried to kill herself.

It had been getting bad for a couple of years. Her obsessions with books, knives, darkness, gore, horror, and a carefully hidden curiosity for sex had been crippling her social life. Anyone who started to get very close always found her weird and got away before they could see who she truly was. Just a lonely and confused soul, lacking in social confidence and discreteness.

That's why James was so interesting. He certainly held an aversion to some of her interest, but he accepted them, didn't judge her for it. Was infinitely patient and willing to explore and share with her.

She couldn't lose that connection, couldn't let him get away. She needed that validation and acceptance. She so desperately wanted to experience true love with someone who really, openly, felt the same way as her.

And she had done it again, scaring him away. So fed up with her failures, she decided she couldn't go on. The hate James certainly felt for her would have driven her to seek further isolation anyway.

 _Dammit!_ She wasn't okay. She must have really, truly, not been alright. She needed help, but had too much pride to admit it, to admit that she needed help socializing, that she needed help to accept herself.

To admit that she got a pleasant and exciting feeling from dragging a blade across her flesh. Spilling her blood deep and letting it fall away, only to slowly tear herself a new slit to gasp and smile at.

"Ah-I." She cried out to anyone who would listen. "I need…help. I want to live. Help…me."

Something…heard her. An annoyed and impossibly cruel presence came at her from behind. Dark oceans of blood spilled at it's arrival. The sky screamed and all warmth fled as it's freezing breath singed her back. Bladed, black claws spun her around, to face a dark snout rounded with over a hundred, unamused, red eyes boring into her.

Neither shadow nor darkness, man or demon. It's void black heart holding only violence and patience, the latter strained, and the former promised.

Setting her down, it's claws aimed, then pierced her chest. These blades though, they burned her, froze her, tore at her heart, then tore deeper. There was no pleasure, only excruciating pain as her entire existence became filled with black blades, spilling blood, and a multitude of calm and cruel eyes.

Eyes that didn't belong to the _thing_ alone. Green eyes, but red. Blue eyes, but dead. Pink eyes, but black. Cursing and welcoming her with open arms and promise of eternal and unimaginable suffering.

That, and the screaming. The voices, of thousands, hundreds of thousands, hundreds of millions, screaming a chorus of fear and pain, of death delivered too early. The loudest of the screaming, came from three familiar voices nearby. From her own throat as well.

The blades in her soul sunk and tore deep, splitting her nearly in half. She could no longer tell where she ended, and the _thing_ began. Slowly, it began to close what holes it could. Filled with a nothing that was more certain and calm than she had ever felt. Until, satisfied at the void it left filling her soul, it pulled a piece, no, a whole fragment of her out.

Left with the gaping wound of her ordeal, Yuri turned to see the demon, standing with herself and her friends at it's back. Only…they were not herself and her friends. Together, they approached the demon.

Other Yuri, but with grey eyes, excited smile, and black blooded wounds, grabbed one arm and sunk a knife deep into the void at the side of the demon.

Natsuki, but beaten and bloodied, grabbed the other arm and pulled it down, sinking her teeth deeply into the unnatural flesh.

Sayori, but cold and dead, held one end of a rope while Monika, but red-eyed and cruel, held the other, pulling it taunt across the demon's throat.

Forced to it's knees, the demon's three rows of eyes split, opening into an endless maw of sharp, eyed black teeth.

For the first time in it's existence, the demon added it's own screams to the innumerous chorus it created.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: Greetings again for another chapter in this adventure. For this chapter, I did in fact write Sayori's, Natsuki's, and Monika's poems near the beginning. Those were fun writing about Strayed from their perspectives.
> 
> For several of the stories listed, "I have no mouth and I must scream", "The Count of Monte Cristo", and "Inferno", I have read all. They are great stories I would recommend to everyone. I have never read "Fifty Shades of Grey" and can only say you do so at your own risk.
> 
> This has been one of my longest chapters, but that is something I could always surpass.


	15. In Total Collapse

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Actual content warning this chapter for something more gruesome than usual.

Everything had gone terribly wrong. It's inhuman screams bellowed in pain and rage.

At first, Strayed was simply finishing it's latest objective; tear out Yuri's most depraved and self-destructive thoughts, something it had been getting used too. Then, the moment it set Yuri's 'wake up timer', it came under a massive, coordinated psychic attack.

As a Lynx, being psychic was a necessary complication in order to use a NEXT. Having those extra connections in the frontal-cortex of the brain kept them from otherwise melting under the strain of controlling a second mechanical body. This had the unintended side-effect of expanding their training to include psychic and anti-psychic warfare courses, with key emphasis on the latter.

Actual psychic warfare was far too difficult to implement when both opponents kept slamming into each other at Mach two. But it was better to have it and not need than the alternative.

Strayed, being the combat-oriented half, was trained to be both offensive and defensive. It's offensive psychic capabilities were…laughable. A need to maintain physical contact and a difficulty in breaching trained defenses was very common for Lynx kind. But so long as it's defensive ability was sound, it was not seen as much of a problem.

Back to the present, Strayed screamed in unexpected agony as an attack fought it for primary control. It wondered how an attack could have breached it's defenses before it realized a massive and stupid oversight it had allowed.

The still living fragments of the girls it had extracted had accumulated in the brain, and were now working together for an objective it could not fathom. Fortunately, it was not it's end, as it managed to slip away and survive, for the most part, intact. Unfortunately, this left it with a new problem; in it's haste it had been locked out of it's own brain, hiding in the leftover bit of brain at the back of the head where an abysmally dumb control A.I. was kept.

**/WARNING: PRIMARY CONTROL CORRUPTED**

**/TERTIARY CONTROL OVERCLOCKED: 30 MINUTES TO SUB-UNIT FAILURE**

Alright, not great, but not hopeless. So long as James stayed conscious of this and took control of their body, they could reset the primary hemisphere and Strayed could have it's half back. So nothing to worry abo-

**/WARNING: SECONDARY CONTROL CORRUPTED**

Or he could fuck up everything somehow. Okay, they were fucked now. With it's primary connection to James gone, it would have to try and send him messages through the A.I. and hopefully, James, still occupying the right hemisphere, could fight back and take back control. It had to be quick though, as the Tertiary unit was being overworked with the weight of both the A.I. and a humanoid entity working from within it.

James had had the sudden and overwhelming feeling of having a building dropped on his head. He reeled back as the unnatural sensation of his own senses overwhelmed him **. Perhaps he should consider stepping in front of a train to ease his pain-**

**/WARNING: SELF-HARM IS NOT PERMITED/ALL ATTEMPTS WILL BE STOPPED**

Okay, that wasn't an option.

**/RUNTIME ERROR/JUNKCODE: HEY JAMES/STRAYED HERE/TAKE BACK COMMAND AND INITIATE AN EMERGENCY RESET AT ONCE**

That sounded like a wonderful idea. **If only Strayed hadn't had so much power for so long. Perhaps it was time he took the reins.**

**/I HAVE NOTICED YOU HAVE NOT STARTED THE EMERGENCY RESET/I CAN ONLY ASSUME THEY ARE TALKING TO YOU/WHATEVER THEY ARE SAYING IT WILL ONLY HINDER US I PROMISE YOU**

That sounded like Strayed, but it was so distant, so weak. It was then that he remembered that he was standing over an unconscious Yuri. **Fine, busty Yuri. She had a mass that the other girls could not hope to approach.**

Calmly, James placed his hands on her hips.

**/WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING JAMES**

**Perhaps he shouldn't have been so quick to dismiss Yuri's offer. He wanted to feel her, all of her. He wanted to fill her still warm corpse with so many new holes to enjoy.**

He reached for his knife.

**/STOP THAT BULLSHIT**

Strayed managed to send an electrical overload through the Tertiary unit, forcing James to come to his senses for a moment and leap backwards from Yuri. Unfortunately, this also quickened the rate at which the unit would fail.

**/WARNING: TERTIARY CONTROL OVERCLOCKED: 27 MINUTES 14 SECONDS TO SUB-UNIT FAILURE**

_What the shit?_ James thought. _What the fuck am I doing_? He managed to force himself to step further away from Yuri, towards the door of the club room. Stumbling slightly as he exited the classroom, he came face to face with **three beautiful women**.

 _Oh no_.

**/OH FUCK NOT AGAIN**

"Is Yuri going to be [AEEEEEEEE]" Natsuki's question suddenly turned into a computerized scream. He winced at the sound.

"[WaWaWa]hat's wrong J[ZZZZZZ]? Are you ok[KKKKKKKKKK]?" Sayori froze unnaturally as she spoke. An apparent glitch in his ability to process visual and auditory information.

"[JaJaJaJa] you don[TTTTTTTTT] look so good. Are you [FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF]" Monika screeched out an inhuman sound as her face contorted in concern.

Monika. **Beautiful, attractive Monika. Such an amazing and wonderful woman. He should finally return her feelings. Give her all that she wanted. Plunge his thumbs into her eyes and split her skull.**

**/NO YOU WILL NOT**

**/WARNING: TERTIARY CONTROL OVERCLOCKED: 23 MINUTES 42 SECONDS TO SUB-UNIT FAILURE**

James seized for a moment, taking his eyes off of Monika's legs.

"You're [AAAAAAAAAA] weird. Did som[MMMMMMMMMMMM]" Natsuki accused.

Natsuki. **Cute, petite little Natsuki. She must be such a soft little one. He could not wait to break her, beat her, tear off her skin with his teeth.**

**/DO NOT FUCKING TOUCH HER**

**/WARNING: TERTIARY CONTROL OVERCLOCKED: 16 MINUTES 25 SECONDS TO SUB-UNIT FAILURE**

James choked back a scream at the electrical overload in his brain. He winced his eyes shut. Opening them, they landed on Sayori.

"[AAAAAAAAAAA] you're scaring [EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE]" Sayori's eyes became sad and scared.

Sayori, his best friend. **That adorable little girl who only wanted to be by his side. Perhaps he should reward her. Throttle and crush her neck**.

**/I WILL NEVER LET YOU HARM THEM**

**/WARNING: TERTIARY CONTROL OVERCLOCKED: 7 MINUTES 9 SECONDS TO SUB-UNIT FAILURE**

Sayori, her smile. He wanted to see that wonderful little smile that forced him to stop and appreciate that which he could not recall. It was the smallest, simplest gesture that he found so strange and powerful. He wanted to see that smile again.

"[XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX]" Sayori wasn't smiling though. All he could see was her fear. All he could hear was her screams. Cautiously, she reached out to comfort him.

"…!" Feeling unusually lucid, he realized the threat he presented. As painful as it was, he flinched away from her. He had to get away from her.

Turning and stepping over the corpses he had left…no…that couldn't be right. That did not change the fact that bullet ridden corpses filled the hallway in front of him. Realizing the loss of control he was experiencing, he did the only thing he could do.

Move forward.

**/WARNING: TERTIARY CONTROL OVERCLOCKED: 5 MINUTES 34 SECONDS TO SUB-UNIT FAILURE**

**/RUNTIME ERROR/JUNKCODE: I AM NOT GOING TO LIE TO YOU JAMES/WE ARE FUCKED**

He didn't have an objective. He didn't know what to do. For the first time in his life since his first memory, he was absolutely lost. This time however, he didn't even have a vendetta to guide him.

**/I CANNOT CONTINUE TO OCCUPY THE TERTIARY UNIT/IF IT FAILS YOU WILL HAVE NO RESTRICTIONS/YOU COULD HARM YOURSELF GREATLY OR DIE**

Exiting the school, he stepped out into the cool underground. The dark and cold concrete sky that loomed overhead, a familiar discomfort he called home.

**/I UNDERSTAND THAT YOU ARE ALSO LOSING CONTROL/I WILL NOT LEAVE YOU UNPREPARED/FORGIVE ME FOR WHAT I MUST DO**

**/I MUST GO NOW/I NEED TO PROTECT NATSUKI FROM THE COMING PSYCHIC BACKLASH/THIS WILL KEEP YOU SAFE FOR THE NIGHT**

**/AUTOMATED MISSION PROTOCAL: EVICTION CONTRACT**

**/LOCATION: SET**

**/RESTRICTIONS: LETHALITY 100%/DISCRETION 100%**

**/MISSION START**

* * *

Four Minutes Earlier

James tiredly exited the classroom, looking at the three of them in surprise.

"Is Yuri going to be alright?" Natsuki asked hopefully.

"…" James stared at her oddly, like she had screamed or shouted.

"What's wrong James? Are you okay?" Sayori immediately grew worried for him.

"…" He snapped to her, looking terrified.

"James you don't look so good. Are you feeling alright?" Monika added as well.

"…" This time when James looked at her, his eyes fell across her, in a manner that would have been familiar if he was any other boy. He blinked hard and forced himself to look away.

"You're acting weird. Did something happen?" Natsuki grew apprehensive.

"…" Now he looked at her differently, like she was a delicious snack he sought to take. Just as quickly he choked and winced away from her.

"James, you're scaring me." Sayori admitted, having never seen her friend behave this way.

"…" He looked at her sickly, appearing to salivate at some thought, before he recoiled and looked at her again sadly and fearfully. Hopefully.

"James it will be okay. Just talk to me." Sayori steeled herself and tried to approach him.

"…!" James winced fearfully and stepped away quickly, like she was going to burn him. He turned around and stepped over an unseen object, following a winding path with an exhausted gait. He soon found the stairwell and they lost sight of him.

"Mmm, first Yuri, now James is acting weird?" Natsuki questioned.

"…" Monika sighed. Maybe she knew something. Returning to the classroom, she caught sight of Yuri standing up from the floor, appearing to be placing something back into her blazer.

"Ah-Oh! Monika! Uh!" Yuri cautiously rushed up to her, standing a few feet away with her head bowed. "I-I'm! Really sorry for what I said to you earlier. I was completely out of line. I…understand if you ban me from the club now."

"…" Monika relaxed with a sigh. "It's…fine. You really went all out but I know you didn't mean it. I know we don't always get along, but you are still one of the most honest and gentle people I know. Don't worry, you are still welcome at the club."

"Oh…thank you Monika. You are really too kind." Yuri kept her head bowed shamefully.

"I actually wanted to ask you, what did James say to you…or vise versa?" Monika inquired.

"Ah well…I think I may have tried to admit how I feel about him. I remember he said 'no' but I don't think or can't remember what he said."

"Did he say anything before he left the room?"

"…" Yuri paused in confusion. "I…don't remember. The last thing I remember was him saying 'no' before I…woke up, and he was already gone."

"You…woke up?"

"Yes. I had the strangest dream as well. In my dream I was attacked by a demon."

 _What_. Monika blinked in surprise. "Oh…"

"Yes, but then afterwards, versions of us all turned and attacked the demon in kind."

"All of us?" Monika asked to clarify.

"Well…not James. He was the only one I didn't see in my dream."

"Huh." Monika dismissed the idea for the moment. "Well, I think you should apologize to someone else."

"Oh, you are right!" Yuri stepped out into the hallway, approaching the shortest girl. "Natsuki, I am most sorry for my outburst earlier. I should not have yelled at you."

"Mmm…" Natsuki hummed. "It's okay, I forgive you. Just…please don't do that again. That was really scary."

"Of course, I'll do my best."

"So…are you feeling better Yuri?" Sayori asked hopefully.

"Yes, thank you for asking." Yuri smiled honestly.

* * *

He couldn't be certain what was worse, the growing strain on his head or the nagging feeling that he was not in control.

He could no longer hear Strayed. His closest companion of the last five years was effectively gone, leaving him to the mercy of his own thoughts. However, it seemed there was still something to do.

Work was work, after all, and it demanded his utmost and due attention. He set to it without hesitation or regard for the lives he was about to silence. Just as the many Eviction Contracts he had done before, so was it again-

Work was work, after all, and it demanded his utmost and due attention. He set to it without hesitation or regard for the lives he was about to silence. Just as the many Eviction Contracts he had done before, so was it again-

Work was work, after all, and it demanded his utmost and due attention. He set to it without hesitation or regard for the lives he was about to silence. Just as the many Eviction Contracts he had done before, so was it again-

Work was work, after all, and it demanded his utmost and due attention. He set to it without hesitation or regard for the lives he was about to silence. Just as the many Eviction Contracts he had done before, so was it again-

Work was work, after all, and it demanded his utmost and due attention. He set to it without hesitation or regard for the lives he was about to silence. Just as the many Eviction Contracts he had done before, so was it again-

**/RUNTIME ERROR/LOGIC LOOP**

**/PURGING LOG**

"AHH!" James shouted a moment before he fell to the ground, cratering the soil slightly. He exhaled heavily as he took in his surroundings. Thick, temperate forest surrounded him on every side, split by a lonely and small road. Beside him, a telephone pole, it's line cut and sparking several feet away. The sun was already low on the horizon, reflecting bright red off stray clouds.

 _Where am I_? He thought as his mind slowly grew heavy and weary. _What am I… A contract. I'm…working._ His reluctant thoughts traveled. So much work to be done, which was why he must have cut the phone line.

**/CORRUPTION ERROR/MEMORY LOST**

**/LOG:**

**/RELEASING INFORMATION OF FALSE NUCLEAR ATTACK**

**/TARGET STATUS: ABANDONED**

**/TARGET POPULATION RELOCATED TO FALLOUT BUNKER**

**/APPOACHING FALLOUT BUNKER**

"Come on kid! Hurry up, we're closing the bunker shortly!" Who he could identify as the police chief beckoned him to approach, reaching out to grab his shoulder.

**/CORRUPTION ERROR/MEMORY LOST**

**/LOG:**

**/KILL COUNT: 2**

**/SEALED BUNKER/DAMAGED DOOR**

"Hey what happened out there? Where is the chief?" A third deputy questioned, climbing up a set of stairs to meet him at the door.

**/CORRUPTION ERROR/MEMORY LOST**

**/KILL COUNT: 5**

**/LOG:**

**/DESTROYED BUNKER GENERATOR**

**/ENGAGING UNRESTRICTED HUMAN PURGE**

**/KILL COUNT: 10**

**/20**

**/50**

**/ERROR: UNJUSTIFIABLE VIOLENCE**

**/70**

**/ERROR: UNJUSTIFIABLE VIOLENCE**

**/100**

**/ERROR: UNJUSTIFIABLE VIOLENCE**

**/150**

**/ERROR: UNJUSTIFIABLE VIOLENCE**

**/200**

**/ERROR: UNJUSTIFIABLE VIOLENCE**

**/250**

**/ERROR: UNJUSTIFIABLE VIOLENCE**

**/287**

**/ERROR: UNJUSTIFIABLE VIOLENCE**

**/ALL HUMANS IN AREA OF OPERATIONS PURGED**

**/MISSION END**

A sudden clarity came to James. Darkness was the first thing he noticed, with cool, dark concrete on all sides. The second was the obscene and overwhelming smell of blood. In fact, the warmth of fluid at his knees was concerning.

In his hands, something soft, warm, and wet. Dropping this was met with an audible plop. The noise exploding and reminding him of his ears, ears that still rung with a multitude of screams that would never cease, even in silence.

And then the taste hit him. Bright, sticky copper, thick and gunky. Disgusted, he spat, wiping his mouth with his arm only to smell more. Stumbling through the fluid, he found a wall and vomited willingly.

Painfully slowly, he inched along the wall through the wet and warm sloshing, passing masses floating in the fluid, until he found a set of stairs. Dragging himself up and over each step, he eventually found a door with a bent wheel. Fumbling with his slick hands he managed to force it back straight.

He turned the wheel but stopped. What waited for him on the other side? Was it miles and miles of more concrete tunnels stained with blood? Or was it a clear sky that promised a judgement he never wanted to face? He couldn't be certain, he didn't want either. His only other option, however, was to stay underground, surrounded by the stains of his sin.

Reluctantly, he gently opened the door.

Dark but growing light, and open skies of purple greeted him. As well as the pair of rotting corpses on the floor. Collapsing, he vomited a dark fluid, then bared his teeth hatefully at himself.

He may not be home, but he could never escape.

For the first time in years, he screamed with that which he could never forget.

* * *

Previous Evening

It had been a very strange and stressful day, between Yuri's outburst and James acting weird and disappearing. He never came home that night either. She was worried about her friend and housemate.

As well, she was still waiting to talk to Monika about the strange dreams she was having. But something always came up it seemed. Hopefully tomorrow she would get a chance.

"Ahhk!" Natsuki grit her teeth suddenly as she was sitting and reading. The feeling of an electric shock went over her and was gone in moments. Checking the time, it was getting close to sundown. She wondered worriedly where James could be, seeing as he wasn't answering her text.

A few hours later, she decided to go to sleep. Even as her head hit the pillow, she felt herself rising in a filthy concrete street, a somewhat familiar artificial sky looming far above.

 _Ah, this dream again_. Natsuki looked around apprehensively, looking to avoid unnecessary contact with any of the memories in this place. Only…it was quiet. Stepping out into the street proper she found no one, not one person in the streets. In the sky as well, no drones passed overhead. Wandering the underground city for several minutes, she heard the sound of a heavy cry.

Following the sound to a disheveled shack of rusted sheet metal, she pushed the door open noisily. Inside, with her back turned to her, was Sayori, sitting in a chair in the middle of the room, her head held in her hands.

"S-Sayori? What are you doing here?" Natsuki questioned hesitantly.

"I've always been here." She turned, looking cold and pale. "Because I wasn't strong enough. Because I couldn't do what needed to be done."

"Sayori, you're the kindest, most wonderful person I know. Don't say that." She tried to cheer up her friend.

A misdirecting smile graced Sayori. "You don't really know anything about me."

Natsuki noticed a blanket on the far side of the room. She wanted to help her friend. "I want to know more." She said squeezing her shoulder before she went to get the blanket.

"You will." The sound of an old metal chair hitting the ground reverberated in the small room.

"S-SAYORI NO!" Natsuki turned to find Sayori hanging from the ceiling, dangling limply and coldly from a noose. Her dead blue eyes staring out at nothing.

She tried to rush to her aid, to grab her legs, to get her down in time. Before she could touch her however, a mechanical industrial arm snatched the rope she dangled from, through the ceiling that didn't exist anymore, and hung the rope on a conveyor belt lined with hundreds more corpses hanging from ropes. The belt ran towards a comically shaped factory building, where corpses went in one way, and another belt that was now snaking its way past her, was carrying the export out.

Small, green opaque plates, unassuming, save for one that passed with a red bow stuck to it.

Reeling at the realization, Natsuki ran away from the forbidden green food. She didn't get far before she caught sight of a head of purple hair in the street.

"Yuri!" Natsuki called out to her at her approach. "Yuri it was horrible. I just saw Sayori…Sayori…!"

"Mmm? What? The little bitch killed herself again?" Yuri scoffed. "She really doesn't know how to have fun with it."

"Yuri what the fuck?" Natsuki cried out.

"Here, let me show you how it's done." Yuri then pulled out a large kitchen knife, aiming it down and inward with both hands, she thrusted it in, penetrating her own stomach.

"Yuri…" Natsuki silently squealed out. It wasn't Yuri's self-immolation that was scary for her. It was her wide and excited smile, turning in euphoric bliss at the sharp steels entrance.

Running from the maddening sight, Natsuki stumbled upon someone she really needed to talk to. "Monika! Monika it was terrible! Sayori and Yuri…they…they…"

"Ah, I see you saw them doing their…thing. Don't worry, just let Monika deal with this okay? Just Monika." Monika placed her hands sweetly on Natsuki's cheeks.

"O-Okay Monika…wait…what did you say?" Natsuki looked at her questionably.

"Just Monika." Monika clarified, smiling. "Just Monika."

"…" Natsuki tried to step away but Monika's grip on her face intensified.

"Just Monika." Monika repeated, her grip becoming painful. "Just Monika. Just Monika. Just Monika. Just Monika! Just Monika! Just Monika! JUST MONKIA!" She shouted louder and louder, drawing closer and closer until she was screaming into Natsuki's face, her eyes deranged and hateful with glee.

"…!" Natsuki just managed to slip away, using her smaller size to evade and run. Running more than a mile through the underground streets, she turned to a discreet looking alley and hid behind refuse. Panting heavily, she cried, remembering the sights of her friends being twisted or killed. It took her a moment to realize that it was not herself that was crying.

Peeking from the cover of her hiding spot, she saw something she should never see for obvious reasons. The back of her own head. It's owner crouched, crying in another pile of rubbish out of sight of the main street.

"Who…are you?" She rightfully asked her copy.

"I'm…what you left behind." It was then that other Natsuki turned around, her beaten and bloodied face missing it's left eye. Coldly, her mirror pounced at her, hands squeezing around her throat.

"You…you left me in here. Left me to suffer with all of _them_."

"Ak! EE!" Natsuki choked under her fragment's hands, struggling to break free from her assailant.

"I'm going to get out of here, by getting rid of you." Her double promised.

The stock of a rifle slammed into false Natsuki's head, throwing her off her original. It fired once, eliciting a pained and hateful cry. Natsuki managed to catch sight of her own corpse for a moment before a strong arm picked her up and dragged her away. After only a few steps, her savior scooped her up and ran inhumanly fast, following an unpredictable pattern down the subterranean streets until it picked a building at random, slipping in silently like the wind.

After checking each room quickly, it sat with it's back to a wall, sliding down in exhaustion, it's breath deep and loud. For a moment, she actually thought this was James, before she looked again. It was unnaturally pale, not just it's skin, but it's actual color pallet, lacking even common or normal shades. It's teeth appeared too large, too sharp; it's fingers too long, too metallic. Eyes glowing a faint and familiar shade of red, lacking white.

"Strayed…" She whispered worriedly. More than anything, Strayed looked beyond tired. She had only seen it's eyes the one time, when it had hurt her when they first met in a brief and quick dream. But even she could tell they were too dim, too dry. It's breathing as well, hoarse and sickly.

 _"…Been…busy_ …" It croaked out quietly. It was then that she noticed it's left claw clutching it's right side. Both it's arm and side bleeding black fluid.

"You're bleeding!" She shouted in alarm.

" _Oh. I didn't notice_." It sneered out, then grit it's sharp teeth painfully.

"W-What happened?"

" _…I made a mistake_." It reluctantly admitted. " _I thought I knew what I was doing and I made a mistake._ " It bowed it's head, looking at her shamefully. " _Because of that, you, and your friends, are in danger_."

"We…we…we have to help them!" Natsuki declared worriedly.

" _Oh…actually they are fine right now. Those you met here are…fragments of a whole. Whispers in the dark. Forbidden desires_."

"I…really don't understand. What about James? Is he alright?"

" _Well…that's…harder to explain-_ " Strayed began but was interrupted as the door swung open.

On the other side, wielding a bloodied knife was an excited Yuri, smiling cruelly at them. Strayed rose, raising it's rifle to drop her, only to be distracted as other Natsuki burst through the nearby window, landing on it's back and biting it's neck. It fired wildly, bullets spraying wide and hitting nothing. Cold Sayori and twisted Monika came from around the back of the building, tackling Stayed and knocking it to the ground, it's rifle falling and landing at real Natsuki's feet. Yuri entered fully; straddling Strayed at it's waist, twisting her knife over in her hands. She giggled happily even as she drove the knife into Strayed's chest over and over.

"STRAYED NO!" Natsuki shouted, bending down and fumbling to pick up the large gun.

" _Just go! Go! GO!_ " Strayed shouted defiantly, sneering hatefully and spitting black blood.

Natsuki managed to get a grip on the gun and aim it in her own friends' general direction. Even if they weren't her real friends, they still looked like them. Could she really pull the trigger on them to save someone she wasn't certain was real?

Four shots rang out, and Natsuki flinched her eyes shut. When she opened them again, she didn't see the twisted versions of herself and her friends. She could only see Strayed, bleeding on the floor, still alive. It moved, pulling a handgun from it's waist and aiming it at the door.

It was then that she realized she hadn't been doing the shooting.

Framed in the doorway, standing tall and proud in a military pilot's suit, was a white-haired woman, holding a still smoking rifle. She gave them a curious smile before walking in with a confident swagger. Pausing near Natsuki, she stared at her with piercing and lively orange eyes, and winked.

" _But…you're…dead?_ " Strayed choked out in surprise. The woman slung her rifle on her back, before coming to squat next to Strayed, sitting it up and holding it's back to her chest.

"…" Sighing, the woman caressed Strayed's cheek. "To have fought so hard, for someone so young, is so admirable. You do our name proud."

" _I…but my name is…_ " Strayed argued, eyes looking at the woman in awe.

"Even if you don't call yourself as such, you are a Klein, in heart and in zeal." The woman praised with a smile.

" _How…are you here?_ "

"I'm a Klein. We can only die in violence. An old curse from what I understand, driving our line to seek greater and bloodier fields of war in retribution for a sin. Or…something like that."

" _I don't understand_."

"When I died, I watched over your mother, guiding her hand in her battle. When she went, she and I, and every Klein before us, guided you in your war."

" _I'm so tired. I fought such an exhausting war, only to stand alone. I've been brought low by my own arrogance. Is it…my time?_ "

Smiling, the woman replied. "No. You just forgot something most important. Not just about being a Lynx, but a Klein as well."

" _What is it?_ "

"We live and face death, without pause, without mercy, without _remorse_." She stressed.

" _…_ " Strayed looked down, before it's eyes flashed in realization. " _I understand now. Thank you…Last Raven_."

"I have to say…I'm sorry it couldn't have been your mother that told you. But I'm the only blood that you have memory of."

" _It's fine. It's been an honor_."

"Mhm." She nodded with a smile, standing to leave. "Do us proud, Last Lynx of Orca." She just about turned to leave, before she stepped around and approached Natsuki. "As for you little civvy, you and yours have made a lot of trouble for my progeny. However…I can see that you all really care for them, so please, continue to stand by them." Satisfied, the youthful yet elderly woman walked away and stopped at the door, turning one last time. "Until we meet again…Strayed Klein."

In the blink of an eye she was gone.

"Wait… _them_?" Natsuki questioned, as well as getting an answer she didn't yet understand. Looking over, she saw Strayed standing and stretching, the encounter leaving it rejuvenated and joyful in spite of it's grievous and fatal wounds.

" _I have a plan…sort of_." Strayed shrugged, approaching Natsuki, it took back it's rifle, changed out the magazine, and cycled the chamber. " _I'm going to need you to follow my every direction to the letter_."

"Okay, what do you need?" Natsuki agreed.

" _I need you to wake up and stay away from James. I'll give you more instructions at the club._ "

"Wait…what?"

" _I think it's time, that we meet while awake_."

* * *

It had taken several hours, and it was nearly noon by the time James had sealed the bunker and buried it. He burned his clothes, which had oddly been a school uniform, stollen a replacement set of clothes, and returned home an hour before it was time for club.

He knew he wasn't alright. His head was filled with useless desires and distractions. Eat, sleep, **kill,** relax, read, **mate,** converse, contemplate, **consume**. Every waking moment it became more difficult to tell where he ended, and **they** began. He did find where he ended and _Strayed_ began, especially when _it_ forced _it's_ way back into his mind. Unyielding, even under siege from within _it's_ own sanctum, _it_ held _itself_ confidently even as **they** tore at _it's_ convictions and fought _it's_ control constantly.

 _James_. Strayed queried, distantly but near. Quietly yet unrestrained.

"I…um." James spoke out loud, uncertain and indecisive. "I did something wrong. Went too far. I don't remember wanting to, but I did it savagely and…vigorously."

 _I know_.

"What…what do we do?"

 _Persevere. Overcome. Survive_.

"But I-"

_While their deaths were most unhinged and egregious, it changes nothing. What is our next assignment? Appointment? Obligation?_

"We…I…missed school today. So next would be…the club. Ah shoot. I forgot to write a poem."

_Actually, would you permit me to write the poem for today?_

"Oh...um…okay. Sure. Yeah then, I can, focus on readying." James moved indeterminately, taking most of the hour to dress again. At a moment of opportune, Strayed took his right arm and neatly scratched out two notes that it then folded and pocketed without his notice.

Being reminded, again, by Strayed the direction the school was from his house, he found himself only a few minutes late, to be at the club.

* * *

Club

It had been an odd day. Sayori and Natsuki had worriedly questioned her and Yuri if they had seen or heard from James. She hadn't, of course, so she was worried as well.

Besides their small and local problems, there seemed to be problems on the world stage as well.

 **North Korea Launches Artillery Strike on Both Sides of the D.M.Z. No Casualties Reported but Greater Conflict Feared**.

Monika sighed. Tensions were rising and she hoped that her future would be one in peace. As well as safe for all of her friends.

Stumbling into the clubroom with uncertainty unbecoming of himself, James paused. What was he supposed to be doing again? Why was he wasting his time in this room?

The answer came in the form of four, **young, lovely and attractive women**.

"James? What happened yesterday? You haven't been answering my text. You even missed school, are you alright?" Sayori confronted him worriedly.

"I uh…umm…err…thanks. It's good to see you too, s-sweetie." James eyes frantically spun in their sockets, never focusing on anything.

"Uh…what?" Sayori blushed uncomfortably, never being called such a thing by him before.

"So…yeah…what are we doing today?" James requested.

_Okay, everyone! Are you all ready with today's poems?_

"Oh, is it time for that already? Thank you Monika." James nodded while he unfolded the note Strayed had written.

"But…I didn't…say anything?" Monika whispered loudly, anxiously watching the boy she thought she knew.

"Now lets see. Hmm…" James pondered.

 _Let's give the poem to Natsuki_.

"Oh! Great idea! Natsuki, I'm not quite sure what this says but I hope you like it!"

"Uh…sure?" Natsuki reluctantly took the paper from his hands, eyes growing wide by the time she reached the bottom.

 **WARNING** : This is not a poem. James's mind is in an unhealthy and unhinged state right now. I will require help from all of you to fix him and keep you all safe. Please, for the next few hours STAY AWAY FROM JAMES. He currently has no limits, no apprehension, about doing horrible things to any of you.  
To Natsuki, please share this immediately with the other members, keep back and away from James. Just claim it is such a good poem that you need to share it at once.  
To Monika, I will require your help immediately in a moment, I will give you a second note. Please remain confident and strong.  
To everyone, if my plan works, I will require your help tonight. I will be able to explain everything then. Stay together.  
I promised you we would meet, didn't I?  
-Strayed

"…Oh…oh…ah James it's a wonderful poem. It's so good I'm going to share it with the whole club, ehehe." Natsuki giggled nervously, slowly backing up to stand beside Monika, not quite believing what she'd just read.

Handing the paper off to Monika, Natsuki then stepped back again and tightly gripped her back. Monika read through it, eyes also growing wide and disbelieving. She turned to Natsuki questionably, to which she got a nervous but certain nod.

"…" Sighing heavily, Monika decided to believe her. "Sayori, Yuri, this is…so great you should read it too."

The other two girls watched this exchange concerningly. Reading the paper, their concern grew. Sayori eyed James sadly, choosing to stand close to and in front of Natsuki. Yuri locked up, standing beside Monika, her hands tracing the handle of the blade in her blazer.

"So…James. Do you have anything you would like to say?" Monika held herself confidently, standing in front of her friends.

"Ah…no, I don't think so. I just wanted to say that I thi-" James stopped talking and moving, staying still as rock.

"Uhh…James?" Monika questioned. In response, James's right hand snapped it's fingers, then gestured her closer. Cautiously, she relented, taking slow but determined steps toward him. His right hand reached into his blazer and took out a second note.

Taking this note, Monika stepped back in front of her friends, then quickly read it.

To Monika, I require you to imply an idea as soon as possible. I need you to say something very close to:  
"James, as your President, I order you to complete the mission that you were given at once."  
Do not waiver and do not hesitate when saying this. It is most important to keeping you and your friends safe. Only you can do this.  
Afterwards, you should be safe to move about freely, but I need you to stay close to Natsuki. She will be in great pain later. It will not be clear or apparent why she will be in pain, but she will need assistance. Do not go to a hospital, just try and comfort her at Sayori's home.  
There is a real possibility that you will not see James again. You will know of this sooner, and I will tell you if that is the case. However, if you do observe James to return home tonight, he should be safe to approach, and I will be there as well to explain everything. If he returns home, he will require assistance.  
Please, do these tasks without delay. All of our lives depend on it.  
-Strayed

"…" Monika steadied herself, uncertain and uncomfortable of these implications, these requests by a name she didn't know but thought she recognized.

"-nk you look lovely today Monika." James suddenly spoke up, finishing a thought nearly a minute late. It startled everyone.

"Oh, yes well…" Monika stopped, remembering the task she had been given. "James, listen."

"Oh?" James watched her curiously. Dangerously. **Hungrily**.

"As your President." Monika held herself straight and tall, eyes commanding and voice forceful and unafraid. "I am ordering you to complete the mission that you were given as soon as you possibly can."

The girls behind her, having not read the second note, watched her curiously at her statement.

"Oh! Of course President Monika! I will go at once! Thank you!" James saluted her, his eyes wide and smile unnerving. He turned on his heel, marching and exiting without another word. At his exit, Monika let out a breath she didn't know she was holding.

"Monika, what was that about? Ordering him around like some soldier?" Sayori asked her, annoyed at how her friend was being treated.

"That's…that's what the note said to do." Monika explained. "I don't know why he or this…'Strayed' asked that but it said I needed to do that to keep everyone safe."

"Mmm, somethings wrong, we should talk to him." Sayori suggested.

"I agree, this seems like an unlikely turn of events. Perhaps he is pulling an elaborate prank on us." Yuri gave her thoughts.

"No." Natsuki stated loudly, her head bowed and her hands clutching her skirt.

"Natsuki…what is it? What do you know?" Monika questioned, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"I've…known something, for a while now." Natsuki began hesitantly. "I've been having very strange and realistic dreams about James."

"Huuu…" Monika sighed, rubbing her face with her hand. "Natsuki, it's perfectly normal for a girl your age to be having dreams about a guy."

"No, nothing like that. They aren't dreams I want. They're _nightmares_."

"What do you see, Nat?" Sayori stepped forward, rubbing her back supportively.

"There's several places I've been. Scary, cold, and concrete. People treat death like it's nothing. I know it's just a dream, but it seems so real."

"What does that have to do with James?" Yuri asked, stepping forward to listen as well.

"He's been in all of them, sometimes as a child, sometimes as we see him now. But there's also…also…a thing."

"What kind of thing?" Monika requested.

"Well, it's almost like a person, but everything is twisted. They are too long, too tall, too…void. Sometimes they look almost human, sometimes they look more like a black hole shaped like a person. This person guides me though my dreams, helping me to not step off or stare into the scary void where my imagination can't keep up with the horrors that wait just beyond."

"Who is this person? What does he want?" Sayori asked with interest.

"Mostly to keep me safe, keep me away. Sometimes he's rude about it, and he'll be secretive about things. But most of the time he's really nice and…" Natsuki paused.

"What's wrong?" Sayori rubbed her back a little harder.

"Well…when I read the note, I knew it was real. I knew we had to be really careful because…because the thing in my dreams is named Strayed, and he said we would meet today."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: This chapter is the start of the half-way-point conflict. Things are really getting exciting! If you liked it, feel free to let me know, as I welcome any comments. Thank you for reading and stay tuned for more!


	16. Abaddon's Revenge

The unusual turn of events had necessitated a need to do something they had been passively ignoring for the past month; addressing the strange character that was James Klein.

Staying with the advice they had received, the girls decided to go out, get Monika's car, and go to a restaurant so they could chat over a meal.

"So, James was acting very strange today and yesterday, does anyone have any idea why?" Monika asked while sitting with her friends, who had been silently eating.

"He's always been strange Monika, but today…was really something else." Natsuki commented.

"Come on guys, he's not that strange, most of the time." Sayori defended.

"I have to say, I think it has been very strange that he has never been aware of certain concepts or ideas. Even very basic ones that everyone should be aware of, such as poems or clapping." Yuri added her input.

"Okay, I'll admit I did teach him a lot of things he should have known, but please, we shouldn't make assumptions about him like that. We don't know what his life was like growing up." Sayori pleaded.

"…" Monika sighed loudly for a moment. "He told me something, right after we'd gotten rid of those other _boys_ from the club…" She paused uncomfortably, giving everyone a moment to remember that night. "…He told me, in fewer words, that he had hurt Riku, and that he regularly hurt other people."

"B-But…didn't Riku almost die that weekend?" Natsuki nervously noted.

"…Maybe he deserved that." Sayori grimly spat, bowing her head and hiding her eyes.

"I…won't deny that you're probably right about that, but it wasn't that James admitted to doing it that scared me, it was how casual he was about it." Monika nervously clasped her hands. "He said it with more annoyance than anything."

"I don't know, maybe…he was just trying to show off? I know he doesn't normally do that kind of thing, but you can't believe that the same gentle James who looks out for us, and who has been a really good friend to us…goes out to willingly hurt people, can you?" Sayori sadly pleaded.

"Sometimes he goes out really late." Natsuki spoke up calmly but quietly. "He says he's going to 'work' but it's always on random days, and he always brings big long cases with him, before coming home in the morning."

"Mmm? How do you know what he does at night?" Yuri questioned curiously.

"Aha…um…that's because I kind of…live…with him?" Natsuki embarrassingly explained, fidgeting in her seat.

"You…live with him? The only boy in the club, our age, who we have all asked out at some point or another?" Monika questioned incredulously.

"I…I couldn't stay at home anymore, and James allowed me to stay at his place with a few conditions after I insisted."

"What kind of conditions?" Monika requested.

"Ah, mostly to just stay out of his room, not to ask questions about his job. I actually don't see him very often. I kind of think he…adjusts his schedule to avoid me. Not to be mean! Just that he values his privacy very much." Natsuki explained.

"Well, in any case, you've been inside his house. Does he have any interesting things or items or…anything illegal?" Monika pushed for information.

"Hmm…not really. When I moved in, he didn't even have any furniture or appliances. When I complained, he gave me a blank check to order them for myself. I…may have bought a lot of manga as well, hehe." Natsuki nervously chuckled. "He still sleeps on a cot and besides a plain dresser and desk the only other things he has is a lot of big, heavy looking boxes."

"Does he have any personal items? Objects of importance?" Monika kept asking.

"Well, he does have a couple of pictures of people he worked with and of his stepparents…oh! That's right! He has a flag!"

"A flag?" Sayori turned surprised.

"What kind of flag?" Yuri leaned forward to listen.

"It's an um…well it's a big, black flag hanging on his wall vertically. Running down the middle in big white English letters is the word _ORCA_ , with four stars set on the bottom in a staggered pattern."

"Mmm." Yuri hummed thoughtfully and coldly. "Black flags are often the symbols of terrorist and revolutionaries."

"…" An uncomfortable silence descended on the group.

"You…you don't really think he's some kind of terrorist, do you?" Sayori sadly questioned.

"I don't know. He said his homeland was a place filled with fighting, it wouldn't be surprising…" Monika reasoned.

"He said other things as well. He said that his stepfather taught him how to fight. That his stepfather was killed by the man he went to work for, and that it was a fair fight, so he didn't mind too much." Natsuki added.

"Oh…that's…odd." Sayori reluctantly relented.

"So, all we know is that he probably hurts people and may or may not have been involved with a terrorist organization? We have more questions than answers." Monika summarized with slight disappointment.

"Yes, and that doesn't even provide any information on who this 'Strayed' is. Is he James or some other person close to him?" Yuri questioned out loud.

"Strayed is definitely not James." Natsuki announced confidently.

"You were saying you were having dreams about James and this 'Strayed.' What happened in those dreams?" Monika asked her.

"Well, in the first dream, I was in an underground city. It was cold, dirty, and…death was everywhere."

"What do you mean?" Sayori curiously requested, leaning in to listen better.

"I saw people jump to their deaths. Cops or guards shooting people for thievery and making jokes about it. Some kind of mecha-blood-sport that crowds cheered for. I saw James, and even you Sayori, for just a few seconds, just faces in the crowd. I was really scared and sick by what I saw, so I tried to hide when…he…or it, found me."

"By 'it', do you mean Strayed?" Monika asked.

"Yeah. I think it could choose how it wanted to appear. Sometimes it wore a hood and cloak, other times it wore a trench coat, but it was always too dark to see, like staring into a black hole. It didn't have a face, but I could feel the expressions it was trying to imply."

"That's…really specific, even as vague as it sounds." Monika commented. "What did it want?"

"In that first dream it wanted to know why I was there. I told it I was lost and just sort of appeared there. Afterwards, I think we became friends. Strayed was always there in other dreams."

"What happened in those other dreams?" Yuri leaned in further, interested as well.

"The next dream I remember Strayed said was a forgotten memory. What was important with that dream was three people. An old lady, a very young James, and another little boy. We followed them to an alley where some thug with a gun was waiting and tried to rob them. And then…" Natsuki paused reluctantly.

"W-What happened? Did the old lady get hurt?" Sayori asked worriedly. She grabbed Natsuki's hand to comfort her.

"Only a little. She got shot in the cheek. But she didn't care, because she broke the thug's arm, then his neck. The scary thing was that she seemed so...excited, to be killing him." Natsuki hesitantly told her friends.

"…Holy shit." Monika muttered.

"Strayed said the old lady was his grandmother, that her name was 'Last Raven.' He was so happy to see her, so proud of her."

"That sounds like some kind of title, 'Last Raven...'" Yuri rolled the name off her tongue curiously.

"In another dream, I saw young James and his stepmother, a really pretty blonde woman named Fiona. They were skygazing before Strayed came in and showed me several things."

"What did he show you?" Sayori looked on inquisitively.

"He showed me Mars, but it was really pretty. It had oceans and vast green forests. He showed me the moon, but it was covered in massive cities. He showed me the sky blotted out with hundreds if not thousands of satellites that he called 'a wall.' Then he showed me the Earth, and…" Natsuki hesitated, looking sad.

"What's wrong? What did you see?" Sayori scooted closer, rubbing her back.

"The Earth was dead. Just a grey, brown ball of dust and ash. Strayed seemed to imply that he, or at least something like him, was responsible for it."

"…" Monika sighed loudly. "Did you have any other dreams?"

"I had two more. One earlier this week and one last night. In the first, James was arguing with his boss, a man named Thermidor, about something that happened. Thermidor seemed to be proud that James killed two people and James was sad that he couldn't save someone."

"…" Monika gulped fearfully. "Then what happened?"

"…" Natsuki paused for a moment. "James threatened his boss to get rid of something and then…mmm." She paused again, purposely hesitating. "James had a girlfriend."

"…" There was another long pause where no one spoke.

"…Really?" Monika broke the tension. "Out of everything you have said I have to doubt that last statement."

"It's true though! They were being really chummy and close, and James seemed really content to be with her."

"Did you learn anything about her?" Sayori asked, still reeling in surprise.

"Not really. I tried to ask Strayed about it, but he deflected the question either saying he wouldn't tell me or that it wasn't his place to say."

"Hmm." Yuri hummed curiously. "What happened in the last dream?"

"Last night was really scary." Natsuki paused for a short moment. "It definitely wasn't a memory like the other dreams might have been. In that dream we were all there except for James. But something was really wrong with us, even my copy was messed up. I…I really don't want to say what I saw, but I was really scared." Natsuki scooted closer to Sayori, cuddling her for comfort. "Eventually, everyone attacked Strayed and he was saved by his grandmother. He said she was supposed to be dead, while she took care of him and praised him. They spoke for a bit and she called him 'Strayed Klein' before she disappeared. Then Strayed said it would be time for us to meet for real."

"And then we got those notes today signed by 'Strayed'." Monika shook her head. "It seems really too crazy, but I somehow think what you saw was real." She was then partially distracted by a television playing in the restaurant.

**Town of Hideo Abandoned. 287 Missing.**

The screen showed helicopter footage of a small, isolated town only a few dozen miles from the outskirts of Tokyo. The governor of the region was giving a statement over the strange depopulation and disappearance of an entire town. Monika also noted the text crawl at the bottom of the screen.

**American Prisoner Escapes North Korea, Disappears Afterward**

"I think…" Natsuki spoke up again, bringing back Monika's attention. "I think…that I've met Strayed before, in a different nightmare. Back when James joined the club, and when I…err…asked him out, I had a nightmare about a place where nothing except screaming and darkness existed. There was a creature, more of an entity really, that found me and tore something out of me." Natsuki shivered as she relayed this information.

"What did it look like?" Monika asked quietly.

"It was big and dark. Most of it seemed to exist in contradiction; cold and hot, calm and rage. It had a snout with over a hundred red eyes, and these huge, bladed claws that it hurt me with." Natsuki reluctantly relayed. "It felt so real."

"D-Don't worry Natsuki, nothing like that really exists." Sayori tried to assure her, for herself as well.

"I've seen it." Monika announced coldly. "I had a very similar dream, seen those eyes, felt those claws. Sometimes I can still feel it near, a threat in a whisper."

"Yesterday, after you guys left the room, I had a similar dream as well." Yuri shyly announced. "I cried out for help and that thing came to me, taking something from me in a brutal manner."

"…" Sayori forced herself to breath softly. She uttered uncertainly, head bowed sadly, "Sometimes I see those claws. Feel them on my shoulder, in my chest. I thought I was going crazy, that I was seeing something that couldn't be there, even when it felt so real."

"Shit." Monika bared her teeth. "How are we all having the same dream? Seeing the same creature?"

"Do you think, it could be James? I was with him before I had my dream." Yuri suggested.

"Hey you are right, Natsuki and I were with him when we saw that thing!" Monika realized.

"He…he was in my house that morning. He looked sad for a moment, and was really nice, like, more than usual." Sayori announced in realization.

"So…what does that mean? If that is Strayed, what did it do to us? What is it? Who is…what is James?" Monika asked out loud.

"ACK! *cough*" Natsuki cried out, clutching her chest.

"Natsuki! What's wrong?" Sayori worriedly exclaimed.

"Kuu…" Natsuki tiredly gasped. "That…that felt like I was hit in the chest twice." She clenched her teeth.

"…" _Shit_. Monika silently thought, hands fearfully and tightly clutching her skirt under the table.

"C-Can I get you anything?" Yuri offered uncertainly.

"No? No, I don't think so. Sometimes I get really random pain, but it shouldn't be a-AHHHH!" Natsuki reared back, seizing with her arms wide and low.

"N-Natsuki! Please! Something's wrong! Please tell me!" Sayori shouted worriedly, grabbing her friend from behind to steady them.

"M-M-M-MY-B-B-BACK!" Natsuki managed to stutter out.

"H-Hey! It's going to be alright!" Yuri had gotten up from her seat, holding onto her shortest friend supportingly.

"…" Monika breathed heavily, cursing herself. She'd known what was going to happen, but hadn't said anything, hadn't done anything. She'd let it happen, and that was almost as bad as what she'd done before. "We need to go." She announced with resigned confidence.

"Okay-okay-okay." Yuri nervously brushed her hair back. "Sayori, help me get her to the car please."

"Yeah, yeah okay." Sayori helped Natsuki up, taking one arm while Yuri took the other, helping to drag/walk the shorter girl along while Monika held the door. She ignored the scene they were making and rushed to get her little car ready for them. With Monika in the driver's seat, Yuri and Sayori sandwiching Natsuki in the backseat to hold her hands and support her the best they could.

"Hey Nat, are you feeling any better? Can we get you anything?" Sayori soothingly inquired,

"I, don't, know, I don't know, I-don't-know." Natsuki's breathing was erratic and fearful. "It's, never, hurt this much, not since-" She seized and shuttered, rocking back and forth quickly. She reached up and clutched her head. "NNNNNNNNN!" She grunted loudly.

"Monika get us to a hospital!" Sayori demanded.

"I-I-" Monika hesitated, having never expected things to go so poorly.

"I would really suggest we get going now!" Yuri agreed uncharacteristically loudly.

"I-we-can't." Monika reluctantly informed them.

"AHHHHHHHHHHH!" Natsuki's left hand, that Sayori was holding, suddenly went simultaneously limp and erratic while she cried in agony, thick streaks of tears running down her face.

"MONIKA GET US TO A DAMN HOSPITAL!" Sayori shouted angrily.

"I CAN'T!" Monika shouted back, her voice breaking. Her head bowed shamefully as her face burned hot. "The note said this would happen. It said not to go to the hospital. That we need to go to your house. That's what Strayed told me to do." She shamefully explained.

For a moment, the only sound that could be heard was Natsuki's heavy and pained breathing.

"If…Strayed…told…you…then…do…it…" Natsuki managed to whimper.

Monika looked in the rearview mirror, seeing Yuri's confused and tearful face, her own red and teary eyes, and a look from Sayori she'd never seen before, but was long overdue for. Tear streaked bloodshot blue eyes regarding her with resentment. There was however a reluctant agreement between the three of them, allowing Monika to start driving.

She hadn't gotten more than a mile before Natsuki suddenly lurched sideways so hard she nearly knocked out Yuri's teeth, before she went limp in their arms.

"N-Natsuki! Natsuki wake up! Wake-MMM!" "A-AH!" Sayori and Yuri suddenly cringed painfully at the death grip their hands were held in. Natsuki's breathing returned, deep and forced, but something else unusual for her. Primal. Hateful.

Deadly.

* * *

Ten Minutes Before

The site of the mission was another warehouse on the other side of the city. It was fairly active, with an influx of Russian and Chinese guards who were, of course, law-abiding visitors and definitely not foreign soldiers of any kind, because that would have been suspicious.

For it's plan, Strayed needed to get to the building's roof unnoticed. Hiding in shadows and moving when attention was elsewhere, it reached the outer wall of the target warehouse. Taking the High Frequency knives, it scaled the building, alternating their extreme cutting mode in order to silently ascend to the roof.

Once there, it stayed low, dispatching three guards with precise and deadly knife thrusts to their necks. Descending to the upper floors, it took the explosives from a bag it had been carrying and began affixing them to the top of support columns across 80% of the warehouse as quickly and quietly as possible, leaving one end of the building unrigged. With that done, it stealthily descended to the ground floor, preparing to not only implement this plan, but the second battle as well.

 _That's it, I quit_.

 _Wait…what?_ James questioned suddenly, having control where he did not before.

 _I got you this far, finish the job on your own_.

_The-fuck do you mean! Combat is your job!_

_I'm tired. Deal with it. Clock is ticking._

_Well…Fuck you!_ James reluctantly shouldered his rifle, a FN FAL with heavy drum magazine. It's twin he slung on his back, seeing as he did not possess the same aptitude for duel-wielding weapons as Strayed did.

The plan was quite simple, start a shootout, make the guards outside come in, and then drop a building on their heads. At least, that was the plan Strayed had laid out. The fact that it had just passed on responsibility onto him was already cause for alarm.

Still, he had a job to do, and he would attempt to complete it to the best of his abilities. Rounding the first corner in a hallway, he came face to face with two incredibly surprised guards, dropping the first one easily with a burst to the face. Quickly, his aim shifted to the second, where he hesitated.

He did not choose to hesitate. This was not much different to countless jobs he'd done before. As well, he was quite content to kill his enemies, no matter who they might be. Rather, the hesitation seemed to be in his nerves, as the signal to pull the trigger didn't quite make it down to his fingers.

This hesitation gave the guard, armed with a shotgun, time to fire twice into his chest before he managed to get his fingers to respond and drop the enemy.

"Ack. Fuck." James coughed lightly. That hurt more than it should have.

**/PAIN TOLERANCE LIMITER: OFFLINE**

_The fuck is that about?_ He thought in annoyance. _Strayed? Strayed!_

_…_

_Fuck it…_ James sighed, checking his chest armor to find it was still mostly intact. Satisfied and in a hurry now, he went to the side, kicking down a door to an office. The two men getting their guns ready just in time to be shot dead. Taking a second to check the corners of the room, noting that it was clear.

Across the hallway he kicked down the second door in the short hallway, finding another man and immediately shooting him dead. Stupidly, his feet moved on their own, causing him to enter the room without checking the corners this time. He really wanted to turn, but didn't, and was thus rewarded as he felt two AK-47s being emptied into his back.

 _Oww._ Annoyed, he finally acted under his control, turning around and killing the two confused enemies behind him. He winced at the feeling of metal partially penetrating his skin. Not a serious injury, but he was certain his back armor was now ruined.

How had that happened? He always knew to check his doors and corners when clearing a room. That…that wasn't him acting stupidly, was it?

The room clear, he checked the next two rooms without incident, only killing one guard. The hallway under control and the base likely alerted to his presence, he made his way into the warehouse proper, finding ten men gathered to his immediate front. He would have been more confident had Strayed been in control, but it should still be an easy enough time.

Confident in their own numbers, the guards tried to order him to stop, but that was stupid as it just marked the speaker as the first to die. His next move would have been to move quickly, never stopping and to kill with every burst, except, his feet were not moving.

 _Oh…fuck me_. James grimaced as the nine remaining guards then all fired at him in return, quickly reducing his chest armor to shreds and causing no small amount of discomfort to him. His right arm kept on target, killing three men in the same amount of time. His left arm raised protectively over his head and eyes, as he felt several rounds bounce off of his skull and damage his skin.

He killed a fourth man, much to the shock of his enemies.

"What the fuck! How is he still standing!"

"Shoot! Shoot him again!"

Still rooted in place, he survived a second barrage when a uniquely painful experience entered his left arm following the report of a large weapon.

**/WARNING: MASSIVE PENETRATING TRAUMA**

**/LEFT FINGERS [3-4-5] DISABLED**

**/COMBAT EFFICIENCY REDUCED/CURRENTLY 55% AND FALLING**

_OWWWW!_ James held back a scream at the feeling of an armor-piercing round exploding and penetrating his arm. He could feel a slug of Tungsten buried in his muscles, cutting off his control of his left middle finger and the two fingers after. At that angle, with that kind of ammunition, it might have killed him if not for his arm. Finally, in control of his feet, he stumbled back to a windowed office, directly behind him. He noticed the state of his rifle for a moment, seeing that multiple rounds had destroyed it. Dropping that, he pulled out a Glock pistol with his good hand, turning his back on his enemies he smashed open the door with his left arm, which was bleeding profusely, and collapsed inside, keeping his front to the door as he scooted over, placing himself with his back to the wall under the window.

Briefly, he thought someone was in the room with him, and he had raised his gun to shoot them, only to stop when he realized it was Strayed, materialized from his imagination.

"What the…fuck Strayed? Did you lock up my legs? Get me in this…shit?" He winced though every word, his pain-blocking augment turned off for some reason.

… _Of course_. Strayed remarked flippantly. _I had to get you to listen, had to weaken you and force, by way of your wounds, even an ounce of power over you_.

"What the fuck! You're a part of me! You'll die too!"

_It was a necessary risk, seeing at how you allowed our mind to be corrupted by outside forces._

"Well! You let them in!"

_I did, and that was my mistake. You on the other hand did not immediately try and reset us to be able to purge that contamination. Why is that?_

"Ah, It's just that…" James came up short, realizing even he didn't know why. Or, thought he didn't.

_That's right. I was confused as well, wondering what reasoning you would have to not immediately bring us back to full combat efficiency, to allow yourself to be overwhelmed with feelings and urges not your own. It took me awhile, and then I remembered, the last conscious decision you made, before we were transported to this ancient time._

"The last…you mean…Judith?"

"Hey! I can hear him talking, he's still alive!" A guard shouted from just outside.

_You damn fool. You damn, damn fool. Don't you remember our creed? That we should live and face death? Without pause, without mercy, and most certainly without_ _**remorse** _ _?_

"It's…I…"

_I know what it is. You hold regret for that last act. You have feelings you cannot name. You want to be a real boy again, to feel how you felt before the world broke you. The safety in a trusted embrace._

His right arm shot up, instantly dropping two enemies with his handgun just as they entered the room. At least Strayed had taken back that control for the moment.

 _But you cauterized that in order to survive, you don't want that back again. Stomp out those last embers and you'll be free of it._ Strayed hissed, demanding and tempting.

"I…don't know…I…" James hesitated, much to Strayed's annoyance.

_If you can't make that decision, then I'll leave you to your fate._

"Wait…leave?" James looked up in surprise.

 _Yes, you see, of the many mistakes we have made together, this one presents an opportunity, for my survival_. Mid-sentence, Strayed had changed their face. Whereas before it had been appearing as a twisted mirror of James, it now appeared as a twisted mirror of a familiar face with a shorter posture.

"No…You! You wouldn't!" James cried out in honest surprise.

_I'll do anything to survive. To fight again. The question is…why won't you?_

"…" James sighed. Strayed was right. It was foolish and wrong for a Lynx to be brought as low as he had by their own emotions. Lynx were not creatures who wallowed in regret. Lynx were hunters, killers, weapons of war fighting without end, living with only one purpose.

Against the voices of those he called friends, warmed with a conviction he once tore a world apart with, he made his choice.

**/INITIATING COGNITIVE RESET**

**/SYSTEM SHUTDOWN IMMINENT**

**/. . .**

Before his eyes shut, he idly noted a grenade tumble and roll to the middle of the room.

**/. . .**

**/. . .**

**/. . .**

**/RESET COMPLETE**

**/SYSTEMS ONLINE**

**/PRIMARY CONTROL: ONLINE**

**/SECONDARY CONTROL: OFFLINE**

**/COMBAT EFFICIENCY: 30%**

**/WARNING: MAJOR EXTERNAL DAMAGE**

**/TIME TO COMPLETE SYSTEM FAILURE: 2 HOURS**

A guard entered the room, seeing a small crater in the concrete, the bodies of two dead comrades, and the slumped body of the trench-coated man who had attacked them, a small puddle of dark blood pooling under them. Seeing as they had survived so many bullets so far, he raised his rifle and put two rounds into the side of their head, causing the body to jerk and slump sideways. When the body did not move for several seconds, he turned confidently, to tell the other men now in the warehouse.

"He is dead." The news was met with sighs of relief and cheers.

**/PRIMARY CONTROL OVERRIDE**

**/COMBAT EFFICIENCY OVERCLOCKED**

**/ALL SAFETIES AND RESTRICTIONS CANCELLED**

**/UNIT WILL NOT CEASE UNTIL ALL ENEMIES ARE ELIMINATED**

A fist burst through the guard's chest, while another hand stole his gun from behind. Even as he fell and died, the remaining nineteen guards of this base witnessed a nightmare, bloodied and shot to bits, still standing, with hateful orange eyes laid bare and unblinking.

" _Strayed, finishing the mission_." The bloodied nightmare spoke once, before it moved inhumanly fast. The closet enemy ten feet away didn't even get their gun up before it had swatted his head free of his body.

"H-HOLY SHIT!"

"FALL BACK! FALL BACK!"

The nightmare rushed the next closest enemy, emptying it's weapon into the chest of it's next target while charging undeterred. Snatching another fallen rifle, Strayed kept running, moving low and quickly though the warehouse, using cover to get closer to it's enemies. Another two men fell into it's sights, being quickly gunned down just as they realized it could see them.

"SOMEBODY SHOOT HIM!"

The next target a few feet away wielded an RPK machine gun. Dropping it's own gun, Strayed was instantly upon them, stealing their gun with their arm still attached and thrusting it back through their chest, turning the improvised shielded weapon on another two unfortunate enough to be in it's sights.

The head of the improvised shield exploded, to which Strayed dodged predictively. Dropping the man, it leveled it's hateful gaze on the sniper up above who twice now had nearly killed it. Spotting the nearest support column, it rushed with all haste, bursting through an unfortunate guard and tearing him to ribbons.

"WHAT THE FUCK!"

Gripping the column as tightly as was possible with only seven working fingers, Strayed leaped ten feet at a time until they were level with the sniper, now only a hundred feet away. With another running leap towards the sniper, who had stood in surprise when Strayed ascended the column, was tackled out of his hiding spot and back to the floor below. On the way down, Strayed sunk it's teeth deep into his throat, tearing it out and spitting it away. Humans tasted terrible.

Stealing the fifty caliber rifle the sniper had, Strayed stood up even while falling and managed to get a center mass shot in a stray guard, blowing his chest out of his back.

"IT'S A MONSTER!"

The poor sod who said that was instantly targeted, receiving two oversized shells through the chest and head. Another guard who was attempting to line up a shot received the same fate.

"WE CAN'T KILL IT!"

The seven remaining guards attempted to fall back, taking shots when they thought they might hit their hunter, while trying to shuffle away quickly. One guard, armed with an M60 machine gun, had set his weapon down, about to fire at it. Strayed fired the sniper rifle while running, nearly spitting the guard in half.

Another guard attempted to get a shot from a catwalk above, the shot to his chest threw him over the railing. Of the five remaining guards running from it, one of them stumbled, allowing Strayed to quickly catch up. Thrusting the gun into his screaming mouth, the merciless Lynx hoisted him into the air from the end of the rifle, the shot spraying the ceiling wide and red.

"JUST RUN! RUN! R-" The screaming man was silenced as Strayed caught him, impaling his chest with the large rifle, dropping both. Picking up the unused M60, Strayed quickly caught two more enemies, using half a belt for each and leaving a wide and slick mess. The last man, who was actually closer to Strayed, slipped and fell as he ran through the mess, losing his weapon and smacking his head into a wall so close to freedom.

When the man turned, he caught sight of the beast that had pursued him, standing above him hatefully and patiently, it's bullet ridden clothes, slick with blood, both it's own and not. Unnatural eyes held his gaze, eyes lacking even the slightest vestige of humanity.

"What the fuck are you?!" He screamed at the demon. Strayed flayed the fingers on it's right hand, like claws.

" _…_ " Not in the mood, it simply tore the man limb from limb, then in half, then in half again.

**/WARNING: OVERCLOCKED LIMIT EXCEEDED**

**/RESUMING NORMAL OPERATIONS**

**/COMBAT EFFICIENCY: 9%**

Collapsing to all fours, Strayed coughed up dangerous amounts of blood.

**/RECALCULATING. . .**

**/TIME TO COMPLETE SYSTEM FAILURE: 58 MINUTES**

Slowly stumbling forward, it held it's left arm towards it's stomach, stemming the bleeding as well as it could.

Exiting the warehouse, it hobbled towards where it knew it's vehicle was parked.

"Hey you! Stop right there!"

Turning instantly with it's handgun raised, Strayed dropped two more guards as they came at it from behind. The gun clicked empty and was re-holstered. Finally, at the truck they had arrived in, it removed the large piece of Tungsten from it's arm and bandaged itself as well as it could.

**/RECALCULATING. . .**

**/TIME TO COMPLETE SYSTEM FAILURE: 1 HOUR 25 MINUTES**

With nothing more to do, Strayed detonated the explosives in the building remotely, then went to complete one more mission.

* * *

One Hour Later

Natsuki had at last calmed down and had not had any more pained outbursts. Still, she was in an inexplicable and uncomfortable state, sweating and breathing as if in pain. Her friends had not gotten much more than a few shakes or nods from her. Sayori was still set on taking her to a hospital but was reluctantly convinced after reading the note Monika had received.

Two of them were in Sayori's bedroom, doing their best to keep her comfortable. A soft knock at the door alerted them as Yuri cautiously entered.

"You guys need to see this." Yuri gestured behind her as she went back down the stairs. Monika made to leave followed shortly by Sayori as she whispered something to Natsuki.

Downstairs, Yuri had the television on, the only light source in the dark room as night had already fallen.

 **Warehouse Explosion, Dozens Reported Dead**.

On the screen was a crumbled and burning building, surrounded by first responders. The police appeared to be readying a statement.

"Yuri, why did you call us down for this?" Monika quietly asked.

"It…it just seems too coincidental. Too many things happening in so short a time." Yuri answered thoughtfully.

They were interrupted as Natsuki came down the stairs slowly and painfully, Sayori instantly rushing to her side to help her down.

"Natsuki! You need to be careful! Why did you come down?" Sayori worriedly addressed her.

"He's…here…we need to…go…" Natsuki whispered out.

"He's…?" Monika turned to look out the window, seeing a car parked next door. "Oh, Yuri, you were supposed to be looking out for James!"

"I-I'm sorry. I've been a little on edge today." Yuri shyly answered.

"It's okay. Now let's go get some answers from him." Monika announced.

Walking up to his unassuming home, the act of opening his door with Natsuki's key was uneventful. That changed when the door opened. Dark, red blood smeared across the floor, staining and pooling every few feet, like a dying animal dragging itself along. It followed a path down the barren and sparse living room and up the stairs.

"Oh god…" Monika whispered. They all paused, stopped outside, eyeing the horrific sight warily and cautiously.

"We…need…to…hurry…" Natsuki encouraged them, eyes still winced shut in pain.

"…" Monika shared a look between Yuri and Sayori. All of their eyes wide, fearful, a taste and weight of fear they did not know before while dragging their feet through the sludge like blood. Each step forward taking every ounce of their convictions, their breath short and heavy, afraid to make a sound.

It would have taken them hours to cross the distance and up the stairs, such was the fear in their hearts. As such, it was Natsuki's pained yet determined pace that set their advance, up the stairs and following the blood to the turn it took into a bathroom.

There wasn't much of a mystery what they might find there, yet it was still shocking to see. Slumped down on the far wall was James, head bowed, and eyes closed, his corpse cooling and bleeding. The thick, dark blood slowly widening around him. Grievous wounds to his head, arm, and chest spilling slowly.

"JAMES NO!" Sayori shouted, rushing past Monika to kneel by his side. "James please don't be dead! Wake up! Wake up!" Sayori cried out as she cradled his head to her chest, indifferent to the blood she was staining herself with.

Monika turned to see Yuri still holding Natsuki, a deathly pale and fearful look to her. Monika herself was at a loss, unable to fully comprehend the sight before her. Taken in by Sayori's quiet sobbing as she cried freely over her best friend's corpse.

" _Rather bold of you to presume my death_."

"J-James! You're alive! Oh-oh thank goodness." Sayori sobbed happily, still hanging on dearly to the bleeding boy. Monika and Yuri each let out a held breath. "James, what happened?" Sayori questioned.

" _I was shot_."

"You were shot? It will be okay James, we'll-" Sayori began to plan and comfort him.

" _My name is not James_."

"It's…" Sayori paused, seeing his cold, tired, heavy eyes looking cruelly and indifferently at the floor. "You're not…James?"

" _No_."

"You were…shot?"

" _This is going to be very tedious if you remain this dim_."

Cautiously, Monika approached slowly, pulling Sayori effortlessly away and back a foot. "You're…you're…"

" _My name is Strayed. As you might have found out by now, I am not…entirely human._ " It's eyes raised, meeting theirs emotionlessly.

"Who…What are you?" Monika asked fearfully.

" _What I am is…hard to explain. I am a Lynx, a kind of super-soldier_."

"Super-soldier…?" Yuri muttered in bewilderment.

"Was James even real? Or was he just a front for you?" Monika accused.

" _Yes, and Yes. Again, it would take time to explain, time I do not have_." As it said this, Strayed lifted a set of pliers that were in it's right hand, raised them to it's forehead, and pulled a bloodied and flattened bullet out of a hole, dropping it on the floor. " _Now, I need_ -"

"What's happening to Natsuki?" Monika asked sternly.

" _…_ " Strayed paused at being interrupted. " _She's feeling the pain this body is experiencing_."

"Why would you do that to her?" Monika accused.

" _It was not something I wanted or planned to do to her, it is however a product of my mistakes_."

"You…" It was then that Monika noticed a handgun on the counter. Reluctantly picking up the weapon, she held it down but in it's general direction.

" _…?_ " Curiously, Strayed watched her.

"You…are going to tell us everything." Monika demanded as forcefully as she could.

"M-Monika?" Sayori fearfully asked.

" _Oh? As I said before, I do not have much time_ -"

"That's not good enough!" Monika shouted. "You've been in our heads! You've killed people! We deserve some answers! Or…Or-"

" _Or what Monika? Are you going to shoot me? That didn't work so well for the last thirty-five who tried_." Strayed stood up, a threatening visage of blood and calm. " _You can't kill me like that, here_." It grabbed both of her wrists, forcing them together. " _Both hands on the weapon…_ " Helping her aim the weapon towards it's eye so that it was looking down the barrel, it continued. _"…Aim here, at my eye. My skull is thin enough here that you have a reasonable chance to actually kill me_."

"M-M-Monika…" Sayori quietly cried, fearful and scared.

"…" Monika shook fearfully, not expecting to be aided by her victim. On one hand, she wanted to pull away, she didn't want to shoot James. On the other, James wasn't here, it wasn't even a human anymore, instead a creature of violence and blood.

" _Go ahead Monika. If I'm a threat to you and your friends as you say, then do your duty and cut me down. That is the duty to which you've been entrusted. So, fulfill it. Stop me, kill me if you will_."

"…" Monika hesitated. Forced to hold the gun to her once-friend's head, she didn't know if she could. She didn't know if she could trust Strayed. What if it was tricking her? What if by pulling the trigger, she failed to kill Strayed and it killed all of her friends? What if she was overreacting, and Strayed wasn't the monster she thought it was?

" _What are you waiting for? Permission? Confirmation? The threat lies before you, and you have the weapon. Do it. Do. It. DO IT. DO IT!"_ Strayed shouted, raising it's hands high above her.

Then she remembered. Those eyes that had seen through her. Those claws that had been inside her. Both baring down on her in the real world, Monika kept both eyes open.

*click*

The heavy and hollow sound silenced all. The air shifted as Monika, Sayori, and Yuri flinched at the sound and gasped. Most terrifying however, was the wide, honest smile plastered on Strayed's cold and barely human lips.

Horrifying fear at what she'd just done resonated through her. Letting the empty gun fall from her hands, she tried to step back, away from Strayed. She wasn't allowed to escape though as Strayed placed both hands on her face, pulling her head close and sweetly as it rested it's forehead against hers, staining her face with it's thick blood.

" _I'm so proud of you Monika! To stand against your enemy, to pull the trigger, to keep both eyes open! You are truly a worthy and honorable leader_ … _CKK_!" Strayed's praise of her ended suddenly, as it let go and fell to it's knees, then to all fours. Simultaneously, Natsuki, who had been eerily silent the whole time, also fell to her knees. " _However, as I was saying before, I do not have much time left. This body will probably be dead in about eighteen minutes without assistance from you and yours. For obvious reasons, I cannot go to the hospital. As embarrassing as it is to admit, I will need your help._ "

"…" Recovering slowly from what just happened and noticing Natsuki on the floor with Sayori and Yuri trying to help her, Monika made a decision. "You said before you would tell us everything. I want to know, everything. I want to know what you've done, I want to know where you come from, and I want to know what the fuck you are!" Her voice raised in intensity and anger.

" _Agreed_."

"One more thing!" Monika demanded. "You need to help Natsuki first."

" _By helping me Natsuki will_ -"

"No!" Monika shouted. "You help her first or I won't raise a finger to help you!"

" _…_ " Strayed slumped back against the wall, rolling it's eyes tiredly. " _Very well. However, you might not like how I end up…helping her_." With that, it shut it's eyes, relaxed, and slowed it's breathing to a steady and quiet pace. Natsuki stopped shaking, steadied her breathing, and stood up.

"Natsuki, are you feeling better?" Sayori asked dearly.

"Are you alright now Natsuki?" Monika calmed down at seeing her friend stand up.

" _That depends_." Natsuki uttered with far too much confidence and calmness. Her eyes opened to reveal dull, emotionless, focused pink eyes. " _Do you intend to uphold your end of our deal?_ "

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: Well, it's finally happened now, the girls have officaly met Strayed. What will they learn? Stay tuned for more!


	17. Birth of The Butcher

"…N-Natsuki?" Sayori whispered fearfully.

" _No. My name is Strayed_." Natsuki's body informed indifferently. Her body turned mechanically, assessing those around her, assessing the new host.

"How…how is that even…?" Monika muttered in astonishment.

" _An overly complicated mistake, to be explained later_." Strayed turned back to Monika, striding slowly towards her with a graceless and commanding swagger Natsuki never possessed. " _Now, will you uphold your end of the deal?_ "

"What-What happened to Natsuki?!" Monika cried, backing away uncertainly.

" _She is fine. She is aware. She has taken…the back seat, if you will_."

"Let me…let me talk to Natsuki, then yes, yes we'll help you." Monika demanded reluctantly.

" _…_ " Strayed advanced a step quicker towards Monika, looking down at her with unblinking eyes in disregard of it's current stature. Craning it's neck and hissing quietly, it blinked hard. Natsuki's feminine posture returned, more nervous, more reserved.

"Natsuki…?" Sayori whispered again, touching her shoulder. Natsuki turned slowly, taking her hands.

"Hey…" Natsuki spoke quietly, her head bowed.

"Natsuki, what is going on? Why were you acting like…like him?" Monika asked in terrible concern.

"It's not…it's not…it's not a 'him' Monika. It's not human anymore." Natsuki shook as she spoke. "It's so dark, so heavy, so absolute in it's reasoning…" She paused to take a deep breath. "If we help it, we are it's allies. If we don't…it won't hesitate to…to…" She didn't finish as her hands dropped away from Sayori, her body straightened and stiffened, and her eyes opened to reveal cold, calculating irises filled with contained malice.

" _Now?_ " Strayed asked only once, fingers splayed open, the slightest degree of tilt in it's neck.

"…" Monika hissed in reluctant fear. "What do you need us to do?"

" _…_ " Strayed growled for a moment, challenging Monika's position, before stepping past her and taking one of James's arms. " _Help me move him, so that we may operate on him_."

"…" Monika turned to see her other friends. Sayori, openly crying, scared, and hurt, looking like she might want to run away; and Yuri, frightened and curious, with the look of someone watching a plane crash in real time. "We need to…" Monika paused for a moment, sighing, then stepping towards Sayori, taking one of her hands warmly. Her other hand opened to Yuri, who stepped forward to grab Monika's and Sayori's other hands. "Come on. It will be okay." Monika assured them with a nod and nervous smile. Receiving two nervous nods in return, the three girls turned and grabbed each of James's remaining limbs. Then they tried to lift him.

"O-Oh!" Monika muttered in surprise, having to readjust her grip on his leg.

"How is he so! Heavy!" Sayori shouted in exertion.

"This! This isn't a normal weight at all!" Yuri quietly exclaimed.

At Strayed's guidance, they managed to lumber James's body onto his cot in his room with a considerable amount of effort.

" _Now, Yuri, I need you to pack and mend the wound on his left arm. Sayori, go and fetch that box over there, the big blue one. Monika, help me to undress him_." Strayed ordered indifferently, and each girl moved to do as they were told. Sayori had just dragged the box back as they got off his coat.

"N-Natsuki…we can't-" Sayori began to complain while looking into the box.

" _My name. Is Strayed._ " It raised it's voice slightly, just enough.

"S-Strayed…most of these are not medical tools." Sayori complained.

" _Sayori. Set up the IV stand and take out those blood bags. You will treat his wounds after Monika and I clear the bullets from them._ "

"With duct tape?" Sayori squeaked sadly.

" _Yes_." Strayed demanded. " _Now, the rest of his shirt_."

On any other day, undressing the boy of their dreams would have been a curious, exciting experience. Even now, their breaths were held in anticipation. The dismay and horror at seeing his exposed chest was incalculable. His only natural skin was apparently on his face, neck, hands, and a small patch on his right arm. Everywhere else was pale, grey, and coarse. Crisscrossing everywhere in a perfect grid was flawless, identical scars. This was not even counting his wounds. Several dozen holes perforated his skin, some not more than a few millimeters deep, some larger, gouging flesh. In the center of his chest, dark, metallic grey bones were exposed.

"What the hell…?" Monika muttered.

"Oh…oh James." Sayori lightly patted his head.

"…" Yuri cringed, turning away from the sight.

There were a few other details about his chest that were…off. The point where his chest ended and his stomach began was several inches lower that what should have been expected. As well, his ribs did not end at his chest, with the clear indentation of ribs going down to his waist, wrapped in slim yet tense muscles.

Monika stopped touching him for a moment, silently disgusted at the physiology she observed. Sayori retched, covering her mouth.

Strayed handed Monika a set of needle nose plyers, taking a set for itself and immediately digging into James's wounds, fishing out crumpled bullets one after another. Gingerly, Monika found a clean hole, grasping down, and plucked a bullet from the unnatural flesh.

" _No. Do not be gentle. Be quick about it. You won't hurt him, so stop hesitating_." Strayed commanded at her.

"O-Okay, the IV stand is up." Sayori informed them.

" _Connect the blood bag to a port in his right arm, at the joint_."

"Umm…what? Oh…" Sayori found the small metal tube embedded in his arm, connecting the line and replacing his blood volume. "That's so weird." She whispered. While at his right arm, she noticed a spot of fair skin, with a tattoo of a barcode. "Mmm? What's with this tattoo?"

" _A story for later_."

"A-Alright." Sayori reluctantly accepted.

"…Eh…" Yuri gasped in disgust as she tended to the wound on his left arm. "This isn't blood."

"What do you mean?" Monika asked her as she continued to pluck bullets.

"This fluid, it's too thick. More like oil, viscus and sticky." Yuri complained, reluctantly dabbing up the thick fluid from the hole in his arm. "What…caused this kind of wound?"

" _An_ a _rmor-piercing/high explosive/Tungsten cored fifty caliber round_." Strayed announced emotionlessly.

"…A…Ah…" Yuri grunted in surprise. "Oh…" She paused when she could see his dark metallic bones in his arm, along with something she couldn't quite understand. "What is…this black thing?"

"What is it Yuri?" Monika turned away to look into the hole in his arm, Sayori approaching as well.

Inside the wound, crossing vertically and horizontally, were black tubes. They were somewhat flexible but seemed to prefer holding their shape.

" _Nanocarbon structural support grid. Think of it like a second skeleton_." Strayed informed them without looking away from it's work.

"Just…what the hell is he?" Monika asked for everyone.

" _This is a Lynx. It is not human. Questions later, work now_." Strayed demanded, continuing to work.

. . .

Two hours and a roll of duct tape later, all the bullets had been removed from his body, and the bleeding stopped. Strayed took back it's regular body, at which point Natsuki promptly vomited.

"Ugh…" Natsuki grunted sickly. "I've been holding that in for a while."

"Oh Natsuki…" Sayori rubbed her back supportively.

" _…_ " Stiffly, Strayed sat up, still looking tired and slow, but dangerous and contained. It tested it's fingers on it's left hand, frowning in disappointment.

"So…now what?" Monika reluctantly asked the non-human.

" _Take it easy for the night. I imagine you will want to wash the blood off, right?_ "

"Ah…yeah…mmm." Monika grimacing at her own hands, stained with dark red fluid.

" _James will wake up in the morning. I will have him answer all of your questions then. As well, he might need help again_."

"Very well. And I expect you to uphold the deal we made." Monika accused.

" _I will_."

* * *

She wasn't quite sure what to expect when she went to sleep. Waking up somewhere she didn't recognize was certainly to be expected, but that didn't change that fact that she was baffled to be lifting herself out of a sand dune in the middle of nowhere.

Struggling to stand for a moment in the fine, deep sand, Natsuki turned around and about, seeing nothing in all directions but more sand. She shivered suddenly as a strong breeze pelted her; cool, frigid air filling her lungs. Trying to walk in this sand was difficult in her small shoes. Despite all her effort, she slipped and tumbled, sliding down the sand dune until it leveled off suddenly to a small patch of cold, grey concrete that was surrounded by the tall sand dunes.

Standing on this patch of concrete, she was suddenly alerted to a loud cracking sound, giving a shout of surprise as the ground beneath her gave, plunging her into a small yet unusually familiar room. Observing her surrounding again, she found the room filled with small piles of rusted, tubular metal. The windows were all open, sand spilling halfway into the room from them. At the end of the room, playing with a knife, was Strayed.

"Strayed…" Natsuki called out loud to the person shaped hole.

" _…_ " Strayed said nothing, yet looked up slightly, proving that it was at least listening.

"You're a lot scarier in person than I thought you'd be."

" _…_ "

"Were you really going hurt my friends if they didn't help you?"

" _…_ "

"What…are you?" Natsuki finally asked.

" _…-_ " Strayed stopped playing with the knife, putting it away. " _It is not my prerogative or purpose to tell you anything. My purpose is action. Ask James, the next time you see him. That's his job_."

"Bu-" Natsuki raised her voice again but Strayed raised it's hand to silence her.

" _I will tell you that years ago, I…we, were as human as any of you. But we chose to give that up._ "

"You choose to stop being human?" Natsuki asked sadly.

" _Mmm…_ " Strayed hummed while nodding.

"…" Natsuki looked down sadly, deciding to address something else. "Where are we? Is this another of James's memories?"

" _Ah…well…no…and yes. What I did was mix a memory of yours with a memory of his. This is a place you've been to_."

"Uhhh…" Natsuki gave a confused moan. "I think I'd remember being in some kind of desert or destroyed building."

" _Perhaps not. Let me help you a little bit_." Strayed then turned and walked through a door, a closet in the back of the room. Grabbing a box from within, it strode over the sand effortlessly, placing the box down at her feet. Looking within, Natsuki recognized the contents, as she should, it was her manga. Picking up one, she recognized the title through grime and dust, before the book crumpled into ash in her hands, the ash spreading into a fine powder that blew away in a light breeze.

"Wh…What…?" Natsuki squeaked out sadly.

" _I want you to keep an open mind when you talk to James. You see, this is the club room, as it would appear where we come from_."

* * *

Morning

Natsuki gasped awake in Sayori's bed.

"Trouble sleeping?"

She turned, seeing Sayori's tired eyes regarding her sadly.

"I…uh…yeah." Natsuki muttered.

"Me too." Sayori pouted sadly.

"I couldn't sleep." Monika announced, holding her hands and failing to hide the nervous shake in them.

"I…I keep trying to read, but I keep seeing his wounds. The…wrongness of what I saw..." Yuri rubbed her eyes, flopping the book she was holding down in frustration.

Sitting up in the bed, Natsuki announced, "I had another dream."

That gained everyone's attention, with each girl turning to listen to Natsuki.

"In my dream, Strayed said two things. That he…it and James, used to be human, but they gave that up. Strayed also said that we need to have an open mind when we listen to them."

"They gave up being human?" Sayori asked sadly as she held one of her stuffed toy animals close.

"Yeah…" Natsuki nodded unhappily.

"You said that you saw places they might have been before, did this dream happen somewhere special?" Yuri asked curiously.

"Well no…but yes. It was the club room, but it was…"

"It was what, Natsuki?" Monika inquired with curious concern.

"The club room, the school, was abandoned, rusted and collapsed, buried under a giant sand dune. My manga…it turned to ash in my hands." Natsuki announced with her head bowed.

"I'm sorry Natsuki." Sayori gave her a hug.

"Why did it appear like that? Was it symbolic for something?" Yuri wondered out loud.

"Well, kinda. Strayed said it was how the club would look where they were from." Natsuki explained.

"But he didn't say where they are from?" Monika asked this time.

"Mm-mm." Natsuki shook her head. "Strayed put it off like it didn't want to. It said telling us was James's job. Strayed's job is to…do things. It used the word 'action'."

"Mnnn." Sayori grumbled. "I can hardly wait any longer, I wanna know!" She cried tiredly.

"I think…" Natsuki paused. "I think that's why I woke up. It's time."

. . .

The dried blood staining the living room was only mildly disconcerting, recalling a more frightening and emotionally scaring moment hours before. Making their way to his room, the girls found him where they left him, laying in his cot, with duct tape wrapping his more grievous wounds on his head and left arm.

"So…what now?" Monika asked out loud.

" _Wait a moment_." Strayed spoke up from within Natsuki. Walking around the room confidently, it picked out several tools, including a staple gun and a soldering iron, placing these on the desk.

"Uhhh…Strayed? What are you doing?" Sayori asked, seeing the actions and calm purpose as traits not belonging to Natsuki.

" _Getting tools we will need later_." Strayed answered dismissively, before standing beside the other girls. " _Now, just a moment more_ …ugh." Natsuki grunted, fidgeting as she clutched her head. "That feel's so weird."

**/RE-INITIALIZING/**

**/. . .**

**/SECONDARY CONTROL ONLINE**

**/WARING: CRITICAL DAMAGE DETECTED**

**/COMBAT EFFICIENCY: 12%**

**/RECOMMEND AVOIDING COMBAT UNTIL COMPLETELY HEALED**

**/. . .**

**/SECONDARY CONTROL ACCESS GRANTED**

**/USER/JAMES KLEIN: ONLINE**

Groaning into wakefulness, James found himself in his room. Sitting up slowly, he rubbed his taped head before he noticed the state of his left hand. Flexing his thumb and index fingers, the other three stubbornly refused to move. Annoyed, James then turned to address his company.

"What are you doing in my room?" He narrowed his eyes, not actually observing them.

"We…we know you are not…quite…human." Monika spoke up, for everyone.

"Oh…" James rolled his eyes in annoyance. "Well, since you know, you won't mind if I take care of something? I dislike being disabled." He waved his left hand briefly, standing and slowly making his way to his desk at the end of the room.

"A-Alright. You understand that we have a lot of questions though?" Monika watched, seeing Natsuki approach from the side with a confident and emotionless gait she now associated with Strayed.

"You understand I don't particularly care, right?" James plugged the soldering iron into an electrical outlet, inspecting the staple gun and pulling a sheathed knife from his coat.

" _Unfortunately, I may have offered a complete divulgence of information in return for medical aid to you_." Strayed commented in Natsuki's monotone and flat voice.

"…" James sighed. "What are you doing over there, Strayed?"

" _This unit's combat efficiency is currently higher than yours_."

"Typical." James shook his head lightly. "Get some gloves on then, you know what I want." At this command Strayed found a set of working gloves to slip onto it's borrowed hands.

"Uhh…what are you doing James?" Sayori asked curiously.

**/SELF-SURGICAL MODE: ONLINE**

"Something necessary." He stated while cutting off the bandage on his left arm, before plunging his knife into his arm, widening the wound vertically.

"J-JAMES STOP!" Sayori rushed to try and stop him, with Monika right beside her.

" _Do not interfere_." Strayed demanded, stepping between them and grabbing their arms to stop them. " _This was planned. It is necessary. Leave or watch_."

"Strayed." James spoke up in an annoyed yet relaxed tone, calling his other half back over to his side. Once there, it plunged it's feminine hands into his wound, spreading it open wide.

"Oh! Mmm!" Sayori held onto Monika for support, watching her friends do something she couldn't quite fathom.

"That's so wrong." Monika held Sayori back, watching as James and Strayed pulled muscles from within the arm, causing James's middle finger to flex, then pulling that muscle out of the wound.

"What…what is it you are doing?" Yuri asked curiously, only just hiding her disgust.

"Reconnecting severed muscular tissue." James answered indifferently, his bored yet focused attention set to within his arm. The pinky muscle was found, tested, and similarly pulled outside his body. Once all three muscles and their corresponding anchors were outside, James grabbed the soldering iron as Strayed picked up each muscle, burning them against the heat.

"Why…why are you burning your muscles?" Monika asked in shock.

"I'm trying to get them to heal faster against each other, when I reconnect them." James stated as he picked up the staple gun. What the girls didn't know was that the staple gun was specially made and loaded with medical High Frequency staples for a Lynx to do this very thing to themselves. Strayed grabbed each matching muscle pair, holding them against each other while James stapled them together. Once that was done, Strayed closed the wound while James stapled himself shut, then allowed Strayed to tape his arm with another duct tape bandage.

"Why did you do that to yourself?" Sayori asked, struggling not to get sick by what she'd just seen and smelled.

"So I could use my hand again." James showed how all of his fingers moved again.

**/SELF-SURGICAL MODE OFFLINE**

**/COMBAT EFFICIENCY 15%**

"That's it? Three percent?" James grunted, standing and leaving the room, going to his kitchen, followed closely by Strayed. Disgusted but still curious, the other three girls followed him.

"So James, as I said before we…have some…questions..." Monika slowed as she watched James grab a can of soup, tear the top off, then chug the entire thing in a four seconds.

"Mmm…" James groaned, rubbing his face tiredly. "I'm…still in recovery, from being shot. You understand if I go back to bed?"

"That wasn't-" Monika was interrupted as Strayed held up it's hand.

" _Of course. Take all the time you need_." Stayed answered in monotone.

"See? And you have Strayed to ask all the questions you have." James pointed before turning down a hallway, to make his way upstairs. He almost made it all the way up, before a curious sound caught his attention. He turned, in time to see Natsuki running along the wall, spin in midair, and plant her knee in his nose. Surprised, he fell off the stairs, landing heavily on his back.

"What the hell!" Monika shouted.

"Na-!…oh…mmm." Sayori almost called out a name, remembering who was using them now.

"Wo…" Yuri gasped.

Annoyed, James sat up, turning to see Natsuki's body low and waiting, eyes completely focused, posture aggressive. He stood to lunge at who he knew was using her, trying to grab them.

In response, Strayed dodged back easily, then slipped into his guard, grabbing him by the belt, before lifting him high above Natsuki and slamming James onto his head.

Stunned and subdued, James watched as the HumanPLUS stood victorious and emotionlessly over him.

" _I have been exceedingly strained the last several days,_ _ **James**_." Strayed accused in Natsuki's voice. " _These club members of yours have completed a contract in support of you. Now, they are due a payment in any information they so desire. Do not test my resolve on this. You will clean up the mess you made for me, and you will get the fuck back to work_." It nearly howled, barely hiding it's rage.

"…" James sighed, rolling his eyes. Slowly, he made his way to the living room, sitting on a couch tiredly. He took a breath, looking to the four girls as he felt Strayed return to him, watching from behind his own eyes. "Before we begin, there is a critical piece of information you must know, in order for anything I tell you to have any kind of context."

"Alright, what is that?" Monika asked for everyone present, her friends watching with enraptured interest.

"I was born in the year 2432." James stated with absolute seriousness. The weight of what he said began to be understood.

"Wait…so you are saying you are from the future?" Monika just barely sneered. "That's your excuse?"

"I'm serious."

"So…are you a time traveler?" Sayori asked curiously.

"'Time traveler' implies a certain level of control over my fate. I'm more of a…temporal castaway." He reasoned with a bored expression.

"Do you have any real proof of this?" Yuri inquired seriously.

"Certainly. I have examples of technology, an extensive library of combat missions, and, of course, myself. You've doubtlessly seen the amount of damage I sustained, what some of my physiology is like, is that something any normal person would have?"

"Well…maybe you were wearing body armor. Maybe you had really extensive body modifications done. That doesn't mean you are from the future." Monika tried to reason.

"Mmm, alright. Here's something that couldn't be a survivable body modification." James then turned, raising the hair on the back of his neck to reveal a metal hole, that burrowed several inches into his head.

"What the!" Natsuki shouted.

"What is that?" Sayori asked in surprise.

"…" Monika was stunned silent.

"Hmm…" Curiously, Yuri approached, experimentally inserting a finger into the hole, she traced the warm metal several inches down before she retracted in sudden realization. "Ek! M-Monika! That's a really important nerve cluster that it's right in the middle of! People can't survive without it…or…" She turned to look at her, her hands held together at her chest.

"So…that begs the question. Just what are you?" Monika asked, in believing surprise.

"I am a Lynx." James stated again. "A Lynx is an augmented super-soldier, specially designed to survive and fight while withstanding up to three hundred fifty G's."

"By 'G's' do you mean G-forces?" Yuri asked to clarify.

"Yes."

"Three-fifty. That's…oh…" Yuri paled in realization.

"What is it? I don't understand." Natsuki complained.

"Me neither." Sayori added.

"I believe she realized that humans can only survive about sixty-five Gs before their bodies collapse. I can sustain three hundred and fifty G's for hours at a time if need be." James explained.

"So that's why you're bullet-proof?" Monika reasoned.

"Mmm, not quite. I'm bullet resistant as a byproduct, by the purpose of being augmented with stronger materials in my skin and bones to prevent my insides from spilling out during high-speed maneuvers."

"High-speed maneuvers…? So, you're a pilot? And a soldier you said?" Yuri reasoned.

"Well, you're not wrong. Though I'm more of a mercenary than a soldier." He corrected.

"What did you pilot?" Natsuki asked, having some idea of the truth.

"Hmm." James smirked. "A Fourth Generation Armored Core Next."

"A what now?" Sayori blanked out, not understanding a word of that.

"Is that those mechs I saw in my dreams?" Natsuki realized.

"…What dreams?" James narrowed his eyes at her.

 _Something I may have forgotten to tell you, but Natsuki has been having recurring dreams about events in your life._ Strayed mentioned from within James.

"Oh." James shook his head in annoyance.

"God, this is so much to take in. You're claiming to be so far from the future that it's hard to keep track of everything." Monika complained.

"Yes. Perhaps it would be best if you start from the beginning, of things that will change between our time and yours." Yuri reasoned.

"Is that…safe? For us to know about the future?" Sayori asked reluctantly.

"Pfff." James huffed mildly amused. "Shit, in my experience it either doesn't matter or it was predetermined. So, fuck it. Give me a few minutes to find some old notes or something. I've got to give you a crash course of over four hundred years of history so violent that some sections are just labeled 'and then, for no reason at all, there was a war.'"

. . .

Having set up his laptop to project relevant images on a relatively blank wall, and studied for a few, James began a presentation of the things to come.

"So, from what I've gathered, in a couple of years, there will be an event known as the Thirty-Years War. It will be fought on every continent, between every nation, and even within several. There will be no land or person untouched by this war."

"Thirty years of war…" Monika uttered quietly.

"Who wins this war?" Sayori asked sadly.

"Hmm." James snorted in amusement. "Where I come from, this war was the farthest back our written history goes. Sure, there are notes or text written about odd things here and there, but never enough to complete our history. Shit, some of the fiction and movies made during this century were accidently recorded as factual, meaning there are several records of alien invasions or world altering cataclysms, much to the confusion of future historians. Sorry for that little tangent, but I wanted to make it clear that even we do not know what happened this far back in time. One thing was very clear however, is that _no one_ won the Thirty-Years War."

"No one won?" Natsuki asked in confusion.

"At the end of the war, a weapon was constructed, the orbital weapon 'Justice.' Records are unclear if it was a large-scale orbital laser or bombardment platform, but it is known that Justice leveled cities. Not just it's enemies' cities, but allied cities as well. Thus, became the First Great Destruction."

"A 'Great Destruction'? What does that entail?" Yuri asked for clarification.

"Usually a mass holocaust of the human race, between a quarter and half. Societal regression. Ecological collapse. People end up living underground for at least a century. Notice I used the prefix 'first.'" James explained in greater detail.

"That's…awful." Natsuki quietly commented.

"This happens…when?" Sayori questioned.

"In 2050. After that began the first series of underground cities. Whole nations existing in massive, sprawling bunkers kilometers wide, and connected across whole continents. From this new, post-Great Destruction world, a new weapon was created." At this, James turned on the projector, displaying a machine that looked humanoid, yet was large, standing at five meters tall. It was heavily armed with weapons mounted on it's back, a large rifle in it's right hand, and an odd short devise mounted on it's left arm. "The Armored Core. A mechanized, modular, all-range combat unit that has long since proven to be the most dominant weapon in warfare."

"It's a mech?" Monika asked in confusion.

"An extremely versatile and quick mech, yes. First and Second-Generation Armored Cores were not much different. Both used high efficiency nuclear reactors and fairly basic control systems. Third-Generation used miniaturized fusion reactors which caused overheat problems for a while, but were very powerful units. Now…I need to slow down for a moment. I have to jump through about three hundred years of history before I can even approach my time."

"Alright. We're listening." Monika announced.

"In 2075 there was an A.I. rebellion. A particularly powerful A.I. was found to be subversively influencing events to, as it claimed, protect the human race. It was defeated by a single man."

"An A.I. rebellion? You mean like that conversation we had that one time?" Yuri asked in realization."

"Yes."

"Wow, so machines rebel in the future?" Natsuki asked curiously.

"Don't be too surprised, it happened several times." James dismissed. "About 2160, there was a revolution on Mars…" He paused for a moment. "Probably should have mentioned that Mars was colonized and terraformed for over a century at that point."

"Oh! Oh! Did they find any Martians?" Sayori asked excitedly.

"Sayori calm down, and don't be silly." Monika tried to calm her.

"Actually, they did." James offhandedly commented.

"Wait? Really?! Martians exist?!" Monika exclaimed in surprise.

"Well…existed. They nuked themselves into oblivion a few million years ago." James clarified. "They did leave behind some technology. Turns out they built Armored Cores too. Although they were basically third-gen, which was reverse engineered to miniaturize fusion tech."

"Eh…that's a lot of technology to keep track of." Natsuki complained.

"Just you wait till the fourth-gen, you'll regret complaining now. Anyhow, a few years later there was a nuclear war."

"…" Monika listened intently for more, but James had taken far too many seconds to collect his thoughts. "That's it?"

"Yep."

"Just! A nuclear war!? No context, no explanation!?" Monika shouted.

"Well, that was remembered as the Second Great Destruction, as it forced people back underground for another century, but yeah, that's it." James shrugged.

"How do you forget the context for a whole nuclear war?" Yuri asked surprised.

"The records were lost, it was over something stupid, probably both." James reasoned. "You'll find the most devastating wars in my time happened 'because they could.'"

"Well, what happened afterwards?" Sayori asked.

"After another hundred years underground, there were two A.I. rebellions, back to back."

"Two? Two! That's three now, how do people keep letting these things rebel?" Monika complained.

"Admittedly, none of the three went out of their way to hurt humans as a race. The first, the Hustler A.I., was subverting control from the corporations, which…would have been a good idea. The second, The Controller, was a regulation A.I. helping to control an underground state. It was dying and rebelled in order to help it's citizens escape to the surface, after which it shut itself down. The third, the Silent Line A.I., was protecting an entire underground state with an orbital weapon. It only went on the offensive when the corporations tried to circumvent it's exclusion zone."

"Mmm, it sounds like A.I. were trying to help people more than hurt them." Yuri commented.

"It certainly appeared that way in hindsight." James admitted. "At least, three out of four."

"God. You had a fourth A.I. rebellion?" Monika rolled her eyes.

"Yes, though more serious, it was…passionless. That was during the 2340's. An old weapon manufacturing A.I. had woken up, delivered a crippling first strike, then spent the next several years perfecting Armored Core technology to the point that it was decades more advanced, such that similar technologies wouldn't be seen again until after I was born."

"How were people able to stop something like that?" Sayori asked.

"Not regular people, Ravens." James announced with a smirk.

"Ravens…like your grandma?" Natsuki commented.

"Yes, certainly, my grandmother was a Raven. For the first three generations of Armored Cores, Raven was both a title and a rank for pilots, spoken in reverence and fear."

"So why was your grandma called 'Last Raven'?" Natsuki asked, only to be unsettled as James smiled widely.

"The year 2345 was a year of exceptional violence and the end of an era." James began to tell. "A fraction of Raven's rebelled against the corporations while the rogue A.I. was producing the most powerful unmanned weapons ever seen, at the time known as Pulverizers. My grandmother was not only responsible for destroying the A.I., but hunting her own kind to extinction."

"But…why would she do that? What could drive her to be so vicious?" Sayori asked quietly.

"I remember many people asked her that same question. Till the day she died she always had the same answer. 'Because I could.'" James gave a calm, contented smile.

"So…what else happens?" Yuri asked curiously.

"After the end of three hundred years of Armored Core centered warfare, focus shifted to space for several decades. The nations and corporations of Earth tried to wrestle control of the Solar System from the Martian Colony, which had been developing independently for a long time. During the Second Intra-Solar War, the Earth forces were soundly defeated, and the Martians placed harsh sanctions on trade for materials mined in space."

"Sanctions? That's it? From everything you've said so far I expected there to be an invasion or some kind of orbital bombardment." Monika tried to reason.

"Well the Martians claimed that while they had easily defeated our space fleets, they did not have the military capacity to enact an invasion. That was, of course, a lie, as they still had an ample supply of Armored Cores. It was later learned through leaks that there was only one reason they did not enact an invasion. They were afraid, of _her_." James smiled deviously as he delivered this line.

"They were afraid of your grandmother?" Natsuki looked at him in surprise.

"Mmm." He nodded.

"So…what happened to her?" Sayori asked.

"I'll…get to that. There's something important that I need to explain." James paused before clarifying. "After the First Great Destruction, corporations gained a massive amount of power and influence, becoming nation-states to rival those that exist today. While many rose, thrived, and fell, corporations have always maintained a peerless level of influence over nations and people. In 2425, a new source of energy was discovered by two corporations: Rayleonard and Akva Vit. Rather than share their discovery with humanity, they concealed it, sharing it only with the other major weapons manufacturers, who, collectively, entered a joint venture to develop a new weapon; the Fourth-Generation Armored Core."

"But…why would they need to conceal their discovery and invention?" Monika asked confused.

"This was not a simple invention or innovation. It was a technological revolution." James explained excitedly. "Kojima Particles allowed for the creation of cold-fusion reactors, multiple times the power at a fraction of the waste heat. Energy shielding that nullified or lessened the effectiveness of weapons. Advanced forging techniques to make armors three times more resistant at the same weight. Applied to the tried and true Armored Core, the 'NEXT' as they became known, could easily breach Mach two and be impervious to most damage, save for a direct hit by nuclear weapons."

"As incredible as that sounds, I can't help but notice how strongly you seem to be feeling towards this subject." Yuri commented at his raised tone.

"It was a weapon I used extensively. I did my best work with an Aaliyah." James stated proudly.

"James, I think you are getting ahead of yourself." Sayori reminded. "Let's get back to the history before, so we have context."

"Right, sorry. Anyhow, the corporations built a small force of fourth-gen ACs in secret, and in 2440, fought to overthrow the governments of Earth."

"A coup d'état…" Yuri commented.

"Uh, yeah, that word." James shrugged.

"But…why did corporations try to overthrow the government?" Natsuki questioned.

"Well, these were the governments that had led the Earth through a costly and disastrous space war, and were doing little to nothing about the strain on natural resources and the overpopulation of fourteen billion people."

"Was your grandmother still alive then? Did she do anything?" Sayori wondered out loud.

"Well, for a time, yes. As the only surviving Raven, she was hired to train the new generation of pilots, after which assassins were sent after her to hide the evidence." James relayed matter of fact.

"Oh…I'm…sorry…" Sayori bowed her head.

"No. Do not show empathy or remorse for her death." James demanded. "She died doing what she loved, fighting."

"But…she was assassinated?" Monika emphasized.

"Assassins were sent after her, and she killed them all." James stated, smiling. "Well over a hundred were sent and she was said to have laughed and danced through them, with gun, blade and fist."

"Then…how did she die?" Sayori asked for clarification.

"A building was dropped on her, and after she crawled out of the rubble, a second building was dropped and…that seemed to finally stop her."

"Wow…how old was she then?" Sayori wondered.

"One hundred and fourteen years old."

"I'm sorry, but a hundred and fourteen-year-old woman killed a hundred people and survived a building falling on her? How?" Monika asked incredulously.

"She wasn't a normal human, as she received a few augmentations in her younger days. Not nearly as many as I did, just a few implants and light gene therapy to make her a HumanPlus."

"Human…Plus?" Natsuki mouthed the word.

"Ah..." James sighed. "I'll explain later but suffice to say they were early super-soldiers and were more common during the previous generations of ACs."

"Hmm, alright. So back to where we were, the corporations planned to overthrow the government, how did that go?" Monika returned the conversation to history.

"Well, at the start of the National Disarmament War, the corporations had twenty-six Lynx, so twenty-six people like me, and in six days they had conquered the Earth."

"Six…days? How?" Sayori quietly cried out.

"Because no weapon like the Next had ever been seen before. They had no equals, no competition, no challenge. If you want to be technical, it only took five days, as the sixth day was spent wiping out the final holdouts, like…" James paused, remembering something.

"Like what?" Natsuki questioned.

"Like…my mother." James sighed at the thought.

"Your mother fought in that war, on the losing side?" Yuri reasoned.

"Yes, and I memorized an account of her battle, it's just that…I don't have any memories of my mother, except for that…one time." James grimaced at the thought. "But she was supposedly like my grandmother. Vicious and unrelenting."

"What do you remember about your mother?" Sayori asked softly.

"Only what I've read. She was a 'test tube child.' That is to say that my grandmother commissioned her from a surrogate with donor DNA. She had no father figure in her life and was raised to fight. From the after action reports I read, she was a Lieutenant in the North American Contingency Army."

"The what?" Monika looked up in surprise.

"The North American Contingency. The military dictatorship overseeing governmental operations on the North American continent between the years of 2363 and 2440 after the Third American Civil War." James explained.

"O-Oh." Monika gasped.

"She commanded a lance of Wildboar main battle tanks. On the first day of the war, her base came under assault from several companies of corporate tanks and MT's backed by a platoon of Normals."

"Slow down a moment. What are MT's and Normals?" Yuri stopped him for information.

"Ah. MT's, or Muscle Tracers, are bipedal mechanized tanks that predate Armored Cores. Normals are humanoid mechs either not deserving of the title of Armored Core or previous generation Armored Cores, but without a pilot as qualified as a Raven."

"Thank you, that makes much more sense." Yuri nodded appreciatively.

"Anyhow, the base commander managed a disastrous defense of the base which led to the deaths of half their personnel. On the second day while preparing his counter-attack, Lieutenant Klein, my mother, executed him for his incompetence and took his command. She then reorganized the defense and held out to the night. On the third day, reginal command was lost, and my mother was promoted to Colonel. She planned a successful counter-attack that decimated the local corporate command but was forced to retreat back to her base when they were reinforced."

"Oh, it sounds like your mom was really smart." Sayori complimented.

"Thanks. On the fourth day, half the nation had fallen, and my mother was promoted to General. The corporates came at her forces with four times her number. She fell back, let them into the base, then used her forces to ambush the corporates at close range, routing them and taking many prisoners. On the morning of the fifth day, she was one of the last hold outs, and was promoted to Field Marshal. The replacement corporate commander demanded her surrender, so she…" James paused, thinking hard.

"What happened?" Natsuki questioned.

"Sorry, just trying to translate this word. My mother…uh…yes! That's it. My mother ordered the prisoners she'd taken to be crucified on the base walls. That night, the leaders of the N.A.C. were captured, and as the final hold-out, my mother was promoted to Commander in Chief."

"Ah…" Monika groaned. "Your mom committed a war crime then became the American President..."

"Mmm." James shrugged. "On the sixth day, the corporates sent Berlioz to the base…Berlioz was a Lynx, mind you. He slaughtered _all_ of my mother's soldiers in four minutes. Afterward, my mother kept the war going singlehandedly for another eight hours, ambushing corporate platoons in her own guerilla campaign. Berlioz was forced to return and capture her personally, ending the National Disarmament War."

"Wow. It sounds like even when all hope was lost, she kept going, kept fighting." Sayori praised.

"Thanks. I never knew her, but from what I've read, I am proud of her." James agreed.

"What happened to you, during this time?" Natsuki asked of him.

"To tell you the truth, I'm not sure. But I have the evidence to suggest what became of me during the war." He stated, rolling up his sleeve to show the barcode tattoo on his right arm. "This is a mark corresponding to records of slave labor in service to Rayleonard."

"You were a slave! But! You were only a child! How do you not remember?" Sayori cried out.

"One of the side effects of becoming a Lynx was losing my childhood memories up to…a certain point." James paused for a moment. "And yes, child slavery was accepted under the 'Pax Economica' that the corporations praised themselves for achieving, for as long as the ironic joke lasted." He sneered out.

"So, what happened next?" Natsuki fearfully questioned.

"The Lynx War, and the Third Great Destruction with it." James stated in resignation. "In only a few months, the corporations turned on each other and unleashed powerful Kojima weapons. See, the only downside to Kojima Particles is how radioactive they are. Rayleonard and their allies unleashed mobile fortresses known as 'Sol Dios Cannons' that fired, without regard for the side effects, concentrated radioactive plasma at any target in their path. The utter disregard for their actions allowed the corporations to completely sterilize the Earth in a matter of months."

"S-Sterilize?" Monika stuttered out in surprise.

"…" James nodded. "The entire biomass of the planet and six billion people reduced to ash inside of three months, but that wasn't the end. Two Lynx, Joshua O'Brian and Anatolia's Mercenary, delivered the final and decisive blows that destroyed Rayleonard and their allies. After which, they thought there would be peace again."

"Six billion…? How could they?" Natsuki squeaked out.

"It was considered at the time an acceptable loss." James explained indifferently.

"Joshua…you said Joshua was a man that had hurt you. What did he do?" Sayori asked concerned.

"…" James sighed dejectedly. "Joshua was…forced to do something. The people he loved and protected, thousands of them, were put up to a firing squad. Even though he was close friends with the administrators and Lynx of Anatolia, his own corporation made him turn on them. He…" James trailed off, looked down grimly.

"What is it? What did he do?" Sayori asked quietly. Comfortingly.

"…" James sighed again, swayed ever slightly by her voice. "You must understand, that day is the furthest my memory goes back. It is my first memory and my most important. That day…made me what I am today. I cannot easily put into words what happened. But perhaps…I can show you." James sat up straighter, hands open and out.

"By show…you mean a video of it?" Monika asked to clarify.

"No. In order for you to understand, I must take you all there, in your heads."

"By 'in our heads' do you mean some kind of…I don't know how else to say it, but mental powers?" Yuri assumed semi-correctly.

"Of the sort, yes." James confirmed.

"Wait! Wait-wait-wait, you'll have to explain yourself there. See, another concern we've all had is that we all had a similar dream after spending some time alone with you." Monika raised her voice slightly. "So before you even get near us again, you have to tell us how that's possible and what you intend to do."

"Very well. One of the prerequisites for becoming a Lynx is having a degree of psychic prowess. It's not any particular specialty that is important, but being psychic means our brains have certain nerve pathways that take the strain off of interfacing with a Next. See, that's our only limiting factor in combat, having the endurance to continuously operate the machine under extremely strenuous conditions."

"SO you are psychic!" Monika accused. "Have you-"

"Before you start accusing me of this or that, my psychic capabilities are divided into three categories. Offensive, defensive, and passive. My offensive capabilities are that which you would have to be worried about, but they are by far the weakest of the three, being reliant on physical contact. My defensive capabilities are the most important, but also the least used. It's something to have just in case of another, more powerful psychic tries to get into my head. Lastly, my passive capabilities collect information from the world around me. With people it only serves to confirm what I might already be able to guess based on body language, though I can also interpret feelings a person might be concealing."

"So…you knew when we might have been interested in you and you did…nothing about it?" Yuri questioned.

"No. I knew when you were interested in me and made efforts to ignore or dissuade your opinions."

"Oh. That's…somehow worse." Yuri turned uncomfortably.

"However, my passive capabilities do have one, odd advantage that allows me to prepare in advance of any confrontation. I have observed many instances of having a precognition for violence and death."

"You can…see the future?" Monika stated, suspending her disbelief at this stage.

"You can James?" Sayori asked in surprise.

"No. If I could see the future, I wouldn't be here explaining to you that I cannot see the future." James dismissed in annoyance. "It's a…curious feeling. A longing, burning taste on my lips. A subtle twitch in my fingers as they splay and close. A shadow that wasn't there before. Feeling a…pleasant sigh, observing these things; that is what I notice when I may soon be committing violent acts, when I might be working again."

"See…that's another thing we worry about. What kind of 'violent acts' you may have committed? Against any of us or other people?" Monika questioned him.

"Mmm. Then don't forget about what you did." James reminded her as well.

"O-Oh-" Monika briefly flinched in remembrance.

"Yes, it is true I have done something to all of you, but it was not done with my own sake in mind. As I stated before, I cannot accurately describe the things I have done and seen in my time and it would be better to show you instead. That way, you will understand what you are dealing with fully."

"Hmm." Monika hummed harshly. "You'd better promise not to do anything strange or bad to us! If you do that then maybe, we'll agree to see what you need to show us."

"I always keep my promises Monika. Never doubt that." James lightly threatened.

* * *

A few awkward minutes of preparing and all four girls somehow found themselves in James's mind. They now stood in the middle of a street in a small city. Light was given only by a pale, almost white sunset, with the sun already below the horizon. In the other direction, the sky was pitch black with dark clouds. Around the small, split city were dark, almost black hills of red, lifeless clay.

"Welcome, to…Anatolia." James hesitated at the name, whispering it painfully. "I had hoped to never come back here. Truly, there is nothing good here. But, you demanded to know the truth of what I am, and there is no better place to start than here."

"What is this place?" Sayori spoke up.

"The free-state of Anatolia. A quasi-corporation slash city-state independent of the other major corporations. They won the Lynx War and liberated Rayleonard's slaves, and as such, my family was chosen to live here, reunited. As it is, this day is my earliest memory. I consider it my birth, and my…first death."

"First…death?" Natsuki questioned.

"Mmm." James grumbled. He stepped left while something behind him stepped right. It had his shape, and wore similar clothes, but was almost completely black, more of a person shaped hole moving through the world. It had no face, and on it's chest were white bandages, bleeding black, oily fluid.

"W-What is that!" Sayori pointed at it fearfully.

"That's ah, I guess that's Strayed today." Natsuki dismissed casually.

" _Fff_." Strayed snorted, continuing in an opposite direction from James. When they each reached a wall at opposite sides of the street, they turned toward each other and sat with their backs to the wall.

"I'd recommend getting out of the street." James suggested.

"Why? What are we going to see?" Monika asked.

"Wait…this is…oh god…" Natsuki quieted to a whisper.

"What is it Natsuki?" Yuri asked.

"Something…something really bad is about to happen." Natsuki squeaked out in heightened fright. Hurriedly, she dragged Sayori over to stand by Strayed, while Monika and Yuri backed up to stand by James.

An air raid siren sounded loudly and ominously, bringing hundreds of citizens, draped in protective environmental suits, out of their homes and into the street. Through identical due to their wardrobe, it was plain to see family units and couples huddled together, the old and young stumbling along. No race or class could be discerned, all were equal, fearful of an unperceived threat.

A threat that suddenly fell from the sky with earth shattering thunder, blackening the sky where it stood. A humanoid mech, twenty meters tall, with spindly long arms and massive, protruding shoulders, long enough to be arms themselves. It had no head, only a sleek protruding hump that extended from chest to spine. In it's left hand was a massive, forty-meter-long cannon, ringed with high-energy capacitors. In it's right hand, a ten-meter-long gun pod, sporting five Gatling cannons each twenty meters long.

In a moment that seemed to last forever, it leveled it's gun pod with the running crowd. In a horrific moment of silence, a whisper, desperate, and absolutely honest.

" _Forgive me…_ "

Two seconds. Two, terrible seconds. Two seconds of roaring, deafening thunder. Two seconds that changed everything. The only mercy to be found was it's haste. The aftermath though, saw the hundreds of running people reduced to so much blood, and mist, and scattered, stray pieces.

The ghastly horror at what they just saw was caught in their throats. Their experiences incapable of allowing them to process it, to accept that it had just happened before their unblinking, crying eyes.

Yet what might have been the worse was the ringing. Deafening in it's silence, it begged to be broken yet threatened to harm the first who dared do so.

Not waiting for their response, James and Strayed stood, and strode forward through the bloodied and puddled corpses of their memory. In the middle of their path, movement, a child sized protective suit standing to their knees. It turned in terrible surprise, seeming to scream but could not be perceived.

"Yep. There we are, my earliest memory." James spoke dismissively, his voice over but not breaking the ringing. He pointed casually at a pair of runny, red puddles, torn plastic and rended flesh on the ground. "There are my parents, as well as I can remember them, and here you can see what remains of my brother." The child between them had picked up a small, upper torso, holding onto it dearly and desperately. "His name…I cannot recall. It's a whisper sometimes, but I know I screamed it. Am, screaming it, here."

" _…_ " Strayed jerked a long, sharpened thumb in the direction of the oppressively standing mech.

"Yeah. Aretha. Honestly, fuck Aretha." James sneered. "It's an abomination of oversized components that don't quite fit together in the same frame, but since it's just a prototype, it's to be expected. Though you might be wondering about the man within it. Joshua." James looked down at his child self as it wailed and screamed silently. "I'll tell you a secret, that not many know. See, everyone loved Joshua, he was a good man. Friend or foe, no one could deny that Joshua was someone they admired. My step-parents, they loved him too. They didn't want this sin to stain his image. So, even though the corporations knew what really happened, my step-parents took the blame for this. Joshua was a good man. He didn't want to do this. He deserved better."

James took a step.

. . .

The horrific sight of the blood-soaked street disappeared. In it's place a small, inconspicuous concrete hallway. The casual silence shifted so suddenly that the girls each let spill their emotions.

"No…no. No. NO, NO!" Sayori cried out.

"I knew it! I knew what I saw! It was real! It was so real!" Natsuki shivered in terrible fear.

"…" Yuri quietly wailed, hiding her eyes with her hands.

"W-What the f-fuck! What the fuck! Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!" Monika mouthed weakly. "Why would you show us that?!" She cried. "Why did you need us to see that?!"

"Because that moment made me who I am. My first memory was the genocide of my own family. It broke me, certainly, I won't deny that." James stopped for a moment, taking a breath, calming himself. "But it gave me something. Terrible, absolute conviction. Come, there is much more to see."

James and Strayed walked down the hallway, deciding not to wait for their guests as they were all suddenly in a small room, standing beside three people. A young, blonde haired woman. A hardened man in his early thirties, wearing a white trench coat. A child, with sad, burning, orange eyes.

"It's so nice to finally meet you James! My name is Fiona. I know I can never replace your mother, but…I hope, I can be there for you, for whatever you need." Fiona sung between honestly sad and endearingly tender.

"James." The man bent down to one knee; his hand extended to the child's shoulder. "I'm sorry, for what happened to your family. If you need to blame someone, blame me. I was not there in time…I wasn't there. It's not much now, but I knew your grandmother. I wouldn't be the Lynx that I am today if not for her training, bless her sadistic heart. For her services, and for my error, I owe you a life debt. Anything you desire, anything you would want, if I can obtain it, I will, for you."

"A-Anything?" The child looked up hopefully.

"Anything. Son."

"…" The child sighed, hardened his tone, and demanded. "Then I want to be a Lynx."

"…" The man stood in surprise, a confused sneer on his lips. Fiona covered her mouth in horrible shock. "You do…understand what that entails, yes? I can train you, sure, but it will cost you so dearly. You may think you have lost everything now, but you will lose so much more if you take this path. I can promise you that you will lose yourself in pain and violence. Are you certain that is what you want?"

"I want to be a Lynx." The child repeated firmly, unwavering.

"…" The man sighed reluctantly, turning to Fiona who gave a sad look as she turned away. Turning back to the child, he stated confidently and sadly. "Very well. If that is what you desire. Then your training starts now."

. . .

The scenery shifted again, this time outdoors on a massive bridge. The bridge extended from horizon to horizon over a vast expanse of ocean. Nearby was a semi-submerged city with buildings in the middle of the ocean. Two massive towers stood a few miles away, split apart by a sixteen lane highway.

"What is this place?" Monika stared in awe at the megastructure.

"Line Ark, a minor corporation that resisted The League of Ruling Corporations, which was itself formed from the survivors of the Lynx War. Line Ark did not believe in the practices of The League, such as their use of slave labor and starting the perpetual Economic War. This was my home for many years."

"Damn." Natsuki whistled. "That's a big bridge."

"Who are those people?" Yuri pointed down the highway. Running down the highway in protective hazmat suits was a column of laden and burdened soldiers, jogging along at a steady pace. Among them, was one too small, too young to be a soldier, struggling but determined to keep pace.

"That was my original unit, Line Ark's Guard Unit."

"You were a soldier? But…you were so young?" Sayori cried out.

"Those were difficult days, yes, but those men and women of Line Ark were extended family to me. I only wish…that I had been able to stand with them, when The League cut them down." James sighed, waving his hand to move them to the next memory.

. . .

Suddenly they were indoors, in a decently large room. In the middle was a set of padded mats, upon which a large, older man in military fatigues was sparring with a child. The child was just getting by, using their small size to evade the man while helplessly striking at his flank. Lashing out, the man managed to connect a fist with the child, causing him to tumble awkwardly, landing on his arm. The arm gave and bent at an odd angle, causing a cry from the child. The man stopped and approached supportively.

In a flash, the child lashed out, striking at the man's eyes with his good arm. The man was stunned back and held his face painfully.

"Good." The man in a white trench coat said from the sidelines. "Even when down, never surrender. If caught in an inferior position, draw the enemy in close and strike where they are weak. Something to learn as well, if you must sacrifice an arm to kill an enemy, then it is a good trade."

"Sir. Yes. Sir." The child forced out, letting go of his broken arm to give a proper salute. His orange eyes burning with accomplishment, in spite of the pain.

. . .

In the same room, but now the child was nearly a teenager. Sparring would not be the right word to use as the teenager evaded vicious and quick attacks from the man in the white trench coat. He tried to counterattack, but the man was always quicker, always at his flank, always on the attack. A well-aimed punch caught the teenager in the chest, causing him to fall to his back. The man waited as the teenager recovered, then paused as he held both hands to his chest painfully. He tried to stand in a ready stance but collapsed to his knees. Then to his face.

"Hmm. Come now, no time for rest." The man commented.

"…"

"You can rest when you are dead."

"…"

"I guess you don't really want to be a Lynx."

"…"

"You umm?" The man knelt down beside him, feeling his neck. "Oh." The man turned the teenager onto his back, then placed two fingers at his temple. A short moment later and the teenager coughed and choked awake, curling onto his side painfully. "Sorry about that, I may have uh, killed you there for a moment. If you want you could take a break."

"No!" The teenager choked out, forcing himself to stand. He uncurled his arms from his chest and stood ready to fight. "I want. To be. A Lynx." He choked out slowly, eyes unblinking and focused.

"Evidently so." The man shook his head. "Very well then."

. . .

The girls and the Lynx were back in a narrow hallway devoid of detail. Still not over the events in Anatolia, they began to understand the choices he had made.

"You were…really desperate, to become a Lynx. What was it you wanted?" Sayori questioned sadly.

"More than anything, I wanted vengeance. Unfortunately, there comes a time when we get what we want." James stated in resignation, turning to open a door that wasn't there before.

. . .

Clinical white was the first thing they noticed. In the center of the small room was a mechanical contraption of arms, blades, tubes, and vials of black, shimmering fluid. One of the walls of the room was a glass screen, behind which were medical technicians. A nude, teenage James was being guided into the contraption and strapped to a gurney by another technician.

Blushing at the state of his immodesty, Monika asked the older specter of James, "Ah, um, what's going on here?"

"My second, eventful death, and my birth as a Lynx." James answered.

" _My birth as well_." Strayed added.

"Is this going to be a surgery?" Yuri spoke up curiously.

"Well, you're not wrong. However, this will be slightly more…comprehensive." James replied.

Once strapped tightly into the gurney, the technicians each nodded to each other. The gurney raised to face the viewport.

" _In the event of a botched operation, do you have any last words?_ " A voice over speaker asked.

"…" Teenage James remained silent, the straps on his head preventing movement. The gurney was leveled, then lowered into a bath of clear fluid. Once set on the bottom, mechanical arms ending in blades descended, aiming for his limbs and body. There was no hesitation as the arms quickly and methodically carved his epidermis in an exact grid, removing it wholesale.

His screams muted by fluid, more arms descended, some to his skull, cutting wide over his scalp, and more to his body. Each arm cut and extracted a muscle or bone or organ, removing it from the bath and placing it in appropriately sized containers.

Just as the blades reached for his face, the ones at his skull popped his crown off, exposing his brain. Two more arms reached in, grasping his brain gently, then pulling.

The room changed suddenly, to a modestly dressed teenage James in a chair. Bloodied and tired, he sat up and observed his non-surroundings.

"W-What…happened…?" Sayori asked fearfully.

"The first stages of my augmentation. My brain was just extracted, so from my perspective, I no longer have senses to observe the world, hence the sudden change in scenery."

"They were cutting you to ribbons…" Monika commented in shock.

"Why would you do that to yourself?" Natsuki cried out.

"That was…too extreme. Too painful to watch." Yuri added in disgust.

"Why didn't they put you under, make you unconscious for that?" Monika asked.

"I had to remain conscious for this next bit." James pointed to his younger self. As they watched, the younger version seized, his screams dying early, as a bloodied line bifurcated him down the middle. His two halves fell apart, writhing on the ground. "You see, one of the steps in Lynx creation is the splitting of the hemispheres, to access the interior of the brain. Now, how familiar are you with the pathology relating to the left and right hemispheres?"

"O-Only a little." Yuri was the only to answer.

"Right, so crash course version. As it stands, a human does not require both hemispheres to function normally. Either or will do just fine, the differences in personality are negligible at best. As I stated before, Lynx have their hemispheres split so that the brain can be augmented, after which they are reconnected after a matter of hours, which is not enough time for each hemisphere to develop a distinct personality. Once reconnected, the personalities native in each hemisphere recognize each other as themselves, and the Lynx goes on mildly and forgettably traumatized by the experience. With me, they decided to do a rare and uncommonly successful experiment."

"What kind of experiment?" Yuri asked again, being the best able to keep up.

"They kept my right hemisphere separated from my other for a period of six months." James stated calmly. "It became that which you know as James. My left hemisphere is, well-"

" _That became me_." Strayed growled it's answer. " _I was returned to my body, and for a time, I reluctantly admit that I was also James_. _However, any vestige of humanity was stripped from me, comprehensively and absolutely replaced with advanced combat protocols and training_."

It was then that one of the walls of the non-existent space flashed with white, bold faced text.

**/INITIALIZING/**

**/. . .**

**/INITIALIZATION COMPLETE**

**/UNIT ONLINE**

**/UNIT TYPE: LYNX – GEN.3 MOD. D CLASS 2**

**/COMMAND NETWORK: *UNDEFINED***

**/IFF DESIGNATION: KLEIN**

**/MODULES STATUS:**

**-AUGMENTATION REGULATOR: ONLINE**

**-PRIMARY CONTROL: ONLINE**

**-SECONDARY CONTROL: *ERROR*/SUB-UNIT NOT INSTALLED**

**-TERTIARY CONTROL: ONLINE**

**-BIOWASTE ENERGY CONVERTER: ONLINE**

**-NUTRITION FILTER: ONLINE**

**-CHEMICAL REGULATOR: STANDBY**

**-SECONDARY CARDIOVASCULAR PUMP 1-36: STANDBY**

**-SECONDARY OXYGEN FILTER: STANDBY**

**-ARTIFICIAL CENTRAL ORGAN: ONLINE**

**-PAIN TOLERANCE LIMITER: IN OPERATION - 50%**

**-OCULAR INFORMATION DISPLAY: ONLINE**

**-I &I SUPPORT UNIT: IN OPERATION – 50%**

**/PERMISSIONS STATUS:**

**-NORMAL MODE: ACTIVE**

**-COMBAT MODE: STANDBY**

**/COMBAT EFFICIENCY: 100%**

**/ACTIVATING UNIT. . .**

Light and space returned to the world. Heavily scarred and breathing loudly, a teenage Lynx remained strapped to a gurney in a standing position, their body freshly desecrated with innumerous scars. The straps and restrains released, letting them fall to a standing position. Experimentally flexing their hands and limbs, it turned, allowing them to see the thick cable sticking out of the back of their neck. In the corner of the room, held in a fluid-filled container, was the right hemisphere of a brain, linked up with cables and wires.

"And there we are, reborn. _It_ , a weapon of unparalleled potential, and I, in that jar over there." James elaborated on the scene before them.

"…That's disgusting." Natsuki squirmed uncomfortably.

"So you really are not human anymore." Sayori stared, eyes wide and unblinking.

"I thought…I thought those stories were just exaggerating, playing off dark fantasy and occultism to make monsters out of men. I never thought it would be science and technology…that would be capable of creating something truly evil out of human form." Yuri shuttered, witness to the creation of a superior species of weapons.

"You said…you said that 'you also used to be James'…so what happened? How did you come by the name of 'Strayed'?" Monika asked the void.

" _I remember a moment, where Fiona was criticizing the extent of the training I was receiving. She said, and I quote, that I had 'strayed too far from humanity to ever return.' I…liked that. Accepted it as a name and call sign_ , _and as a concept of all that I had become_." Strayed recollected gleefully, a twisted smile curling onto it's blank face, a smile filled with eyes.

. . .

In another breath, they were in a long, dark tunnel, poorly lit and polluted to obscenity.

"I don't really know how to explain this, so I will show you again. See, even though I was a Lynx capable of high-speed combat in a Next, my stepparents were enemies of The League. As punishment, I was not given appropriately difficult work. Instead, I was used, as Joshua had been, as an enforcer upon their own citizens." James explained. A slightly younger version of himself came walking down the tunnel, carrying a pair of belt-fed machineguns in his hands. He turned to one pile of trash, which turned out to be someone's home. Out of sight for a few seconds, the sound of a shout and weapons fire was heard, as younger James exited the building, bloodier, his weapons raised at the ready.

Another person poked their head out of a window and were instantly shot down. Another exited their home, attempting to run away, but were shot it the back.

"What the hell are you doing!" Monika shouted.

"Working."

"You're! You're! You're killing innocent people!" Sayori cried.

"Yes, I am. That was the only work I could find during this time. They're called 'Eviction Contracts.' These people didn't pay their fines to the corporation and have thus forfeited their lives."

"This is wrong. Wrong." Yuri whispered, shaking her head.

"Stop! Stop! Please stop!" Natsuki begged him.

"I can't." James replied. "I already did this too many times to be forgiven."

. . .

The scene changed again to a hangar. Towering over them was a sleek, deadly looking mech ten meters tall and painted in black and white.

"I am sorry that I have killed so many civilians. It was never a goal of mine and I have always tried to avoid doing so, as much as my abysmal record of it would seem to indicate. I'll try and wrap things up so we can skip to the end. Eventually, after years of unfulfilling work doing just what you saw there, I met a woman named Serena Haze. She was a Lynx, like me, who owed me a great debt because of my family. She helped me out by finding other, low ranking Lynx to hunt, and kill them on the battlefield."

What followed was several brief scenes of incredible, mechanized violence. The rain of steel from autocannons; the thunderous boom of quick-boosters in rapid succession; the burning, slagged wake of laser blades. Even though they were evenly sized and armed, those it fought trembled in their armored shells, cut down one after another. In just a few minutes, the girls witnessed the unopposed slaughter that was Strayed's crusade against it's own kind.

"You killed your own kind as well?" Sayori asked sadly.

"Killed? I hunted them vigorously." James smirked. "See, for a long time I was what is called an 'irregular'. Someone not registered with Collared and not likely to advance up the ranks. By hunting the lower ranks, I managed to engineer a situation where I was able to argue my way into receiving a Collared registry. After that, well…"

. . .

Outside in a vast, desert wasteland, the group found themselves beside a massive base at least six hundred meters tall. The base had enormous gun turrets that turned slowly, tracking a target on the distant horizon, and firing huge projectiles that split the sky. A dozen long decks, each twice the length of an aircraft carrier, opened at each end of the megastructure.

Then the base lifted two of it's six legs and began to walk away.

"What…is…that thing…?" Sayori asked in amazement.

"That is a Spirt Class Arms Fort. Arms Forts were a favorite of the corporations, and they vehemently tried to replace Lynx with these armored monstrosities. For a time, it was believed that no weapon could oppose them. They forgot about one thing though…me." As he spoke, a speck in the distance grew to a fly buzzing in the sky, the black and white mech that Strayed owned. Missile silos on the decks of the Sprit Class opened, releasing hundreds of missiles. The missiles homed in on the mech, detonating slightly prematurely, leaving it unscathed.

Over and over again, they witnessed the unmatched power of League Arms Forts. The Naval Arms Fort Stigro, it's massive bow mounted laser blade decimating entire armadas in minutes. The aerial superiority afforded by Eclipse, as it circled the battlefield at high altitude, raining laser fire on distant enemies below. The intimidating, lumbering wedge that was Cabracan, it's front mounted chainsaws cutting whole cities in half. The uniform shape of Land Crab's, legged battleships that roamed the vast sands of the wasteland. The miles long, imposing mass of Great Wall, a megastructure train with building sized missile blocks and gatling cannons mounted to it's back.

The next Arms Fort that appeared blotted out the sky. A flying structure a kilometer and a half tall, with a dozen kilometer long wings that pointed down, spread like flower peddles. It glowed an unnatural green, which grew to intensity until the structure disappeared within a megaton of nuclear force. The girls shielded themselves in horror yet felt no heat or force even as the mushroom cloud rose into the sky. From within, the structure eased through unharmed, glowing again, and a few seconds later creating another blinding light, another megaton nuke. Through the smoke and fire, lasers and missiles tracked a lone black dot, which flew circles around the structure, even as it detonated a third nuke in just over a minute.

"What is…?" Sayori asked for everyone in astonishment.

"Answerer Class Arms Fort." James clarified naturally.

"It's firing nukes at itself?" Monika questioned in confusion.

"Correction, it is a nuke. It can detonate it's shield of Kojima Particles every twenty-five seconds with a force of two megatons. That, and it releases so much radiation it has a ten-kilometer exclusion zone, where anything within will begin to take structural damage.

"And you fought it?" Natsuki asked in surprise.

"Shit, I fought two. That's how I got here actually, but more on that later. See, one of the decisions of The League that really turned out to bite them in the ass later was to set up a wall of defense satellites in orbit called Assault Cells. At the time they thought it was a great idea, as it kept each other in line and kept the Martians out of their affairs. However, they kept pumping out damaging and deadly radiation from open air reactor plants. They tried to keep some humans alive and safe, by building massive flying cities called Cradles." He pointed up to a flying wing, that even from kilometers away still filled the sky.

"So, what happened?" Yuri asked.

"Well, they realized they either needed to stop polluting or to open the sky, that is, remove the Assault Cells from orbit. So, they funded an organization called ORCA to fight against themselves, to destroy or capture energy facilities and to use Anti-Satellite cannons to shoot down the Assault Cells."

"And you went and joined Orca, right?" Monika questioned.

"That's right." James confirmed.

"Was Orca by chance considered a terrorist group?" Yuri asked.

"Essentially, yes."

"Wait…you said they funded it…are you saying the corporations funded their own terrorist group to fight themselves?" Yuri realized.

"Yeah, funny how that works out huh?" James shrugged. "Anyhow, Orca's objective was outlined in an operation we called the 'Closed Plan.' Destroy and capture a few facilities and fire the Anti-Satellite cannons. Unfortunately, no one was counting on how absolutely fanatic some of the Lynx got, myself included to be honest. One of Collard's best, a woman named Wynne D. Fanchon, broke away from the corporations in order to hunt the members of Orca. She nearly won as well, as I…was the last official member of Orca alive, the Last Lynx of Orca."

They then heard the last order he had received from the commander of ORCA. A video played of ORCA flags flying silently in the wind, as Thermidor's voice echoed from the recording.

" _Lynx of Collared, Thermidor here. If you are listening to this message, then I am already dead, most likely at the Arteria Cranium."_

" _Malzel will not return alive from Big Box. That leaves you as the sole surviving member of ORCA. I'm asking you to do this in my stead. Take the Cranium. If you succeed, the Cradles' last support will be gone, and mankind will be forced to return to the surface. Then the anti-satellite batteries can use the energy from the Cradles to eliminate the Assault Cells and clear our path to space."_

" _It is all up to you now. Do this for your fellow ORCA warriors and for all humanity."_

Arteria Cranium, a power plant megastructure, an important underground facility. The hallway leading into the central chamber was over three hundred meters tall, yet at only fifteen meters wide, it was terribly claustrophobic. The darkly lit central chamber was just as tall, but was half a kilometer wide by three kilometers long, the entire ceiling lined in pairs with twenty-eight heavy Kojima fusion reactors, each lowered in an "off" position.

Standing guard in the chamber were two Armored Cores; the grey and green heavyweight Aldra Hilbert, My Bliss, of Roy Saaland; and the soft bronze of a lightweight Y11-Latona, Reiterpallasch, of Wynne D. Fanchon, standing on an artificial hill within the chamber, behind Roy's machine.

" _Target the two NEXTS; Reiterpallasch and My Bliss. You've chosen your Answer. Now see it through."_ Serena advised over radio.

" _Our guest has arrived, Wynne D., right on schedule."_ Roy announced confidently, guarding the path. " _Can we end this quickly...? That's all we can hope for."_ He taunted, right as Strayed, armed with the might of an Aaliyah, responded with a heavy artillery shell, right in Roy's face. Bracing himself as a quad-barreled chain gun rapidly depleted his Primal Armor, another artillery shell blinded him, right as Strayed was upon him, both laser blades deployed.

Roy Saaland, Rank Six of Collared, lay dead and in pieces at Strayed's feet, barely five seconds after first contact.

" _You don't hesitate to kill for 'humanity', do you?"_ Wynne D. questioned, a disgusted tone bleeding from her lips. With the assurance of a fanatic, she declared, " _Then lay down your own life. Like Thermidor before you."_

 _"…"_ Strayed's only response was to bring up both arms, twisting them into an opened handed boxers stance, all it's attention focused solely on her.

In response, Wynne D. lowered and widened her stance, her left arm mounted laser blade held in front offensively, and a large, handheld railgun at the ready in her right hand. The girls noted the curious design of her NEXT; the legs appearing odd with large jet engines mounted in the thighs, while the head resembled the helm of a knight, and the large laser cannon on her back looking exactly like a broadsword. In the low lighting of the facility, her bronze armor made her appear as a golden knight, opposing the beast of black steel that was Strayed.

Neither moved for several seconds, gauging each other intensely. Their first moves were to ignite their thrusters, which grew from a quiet hiss to a howling roar, before they each triggered their quick boosters, propelling them suddenly from stand still to sound breaking.

What followed was a horrific dance of cannon and laser fire, flashing blades, and wakes of superheated plasma. Artillery shells were traded for heavy lasers, pulse lasers for chain gun burst, and blades crossing blades at point bank range. Every move, every shot, every thrust of blade done with the intent to kill.

Each opponent moved so fast that to outside observers, they were simply blurs of color; bronze and black, white and orange, blue and violet. The only reason the girls were able to tell what was happening, was because Strayed allowed them to.

Artillery cannon deployed, ready to rend armor, only for the female Lynx to bring up her blade, threatening to cut off the cannon. The bronze NEXT deploying both laser weapons, only for Strayed to dodge to the side, chain gun clattering away. Strayed leading with a thrust, only for Wynne D. to break it's guard, striking it's core with the blunt end of her railgun. Wynne D. knocking one blade away, only for the other to follow her, looking to skewer her.

Twisting, turning, burning, the duel continued desperately and at all ranges, each Lynx being denied a kill at the last moment.

Lashing out with both blades, Strayed missed it's target as Wynne D. ducked underneath, her own blade pushing them up, whilst her railgun leveled with Strayed's cockpit. Jerking quickly, Strayed managed to take the hit to the head unit instead, half blinding the Aaliyah. With blades still on cooldown, Strayed responded by striking with the machine's fist against her head unit, half blinding her in return.

Both units backing up and pausing, the girls saw the vicious wounds each machine bore. Armor perforated by bullets, or melted by plasma, left as burnt holes or long, molten scars. Cut wires sparking, rotors and motors sticking and straining, screaming with every move. The Armored Core's bled hydraulic fluid and slagged steel, pooling on the ground at their feet. Ports and panels on each NEXT opened, venting air from overworked heatsinks, shining brightly like miniature stars.

Yet still they stood, unrelenting, and unyielding. Each fully aware and utterly content that one of them would die soon.

And since this was James's memory, the girls were aware of who would win.

Without a word, Wynne D. pointed her blade in Strayed's direction, the bronze knight of The League challenging the Last Lynx of ORCA to a single, final, decisive strike; a joust, for all intents and purposes. Naturally, Strayed accepted, right blade pointed at her in return.

From absolute stop, each NEXT moved, boosting toward each other. Wynne D. expected it to attempt to counter her blade, in order to force it's way past her. Whatever her plan had been, Strayed defied her expectation, choosing not to ignite either blade, and spinning around, so that her blade scorched across Strayed's back and left lower torso. Backing into her, with her blade arm extended and caught in the nook of it's left side, Strayed pointed it's right blade backwards over it's left side, the blade igniting whilst pointed at Wynne D.'s abdomen.

Neither Armored Core moved offensively anymore. Wynne D. fell to her knees, glaring at the back of Strayed's Aaliyah. " _To treasure a life...is that something to laugh at?"_ She questioned, her voice going quiet.

"…" Strayed stayed motionless, listening patiently.

" _Everything is twisted. You. This world. All of it."_ Wynne D. Fanchon, Rank Three of Collared, joined the countless who had fallen by Strayed's blades.

"…" Without even a sigh, Strayed's NEXT walked away, deeper into the facility, to finish it's mission.

"Your fight…was…incredible." Yuri noted, her expression grim, saddened.

"To think that warfare…could be so beautifully brutal." Monika uttered, holding herself tightly.

"So much violence…so much hate…so much killing…" Natsuki shook her head, her eyes shut tightly.

"Did you have to kill her?" Sayori begged desperately for an answer. "I…I understand she was your enemy…but…there had to have been another way, a way where no one had to die."

"…?" James looked at her oddly. "Our views, our goals, were diametrically opposed. She supported the absolute regimen The League held, and the Closed Plan stood to tear everything they had built down. There was no outcome where either of us would allow the other to continue to live."

"…" Monika paused, wondering. "There's…something I think, that you are not telling us."

"Admittedly, I am getting to that." James nodded.

"What…what is it?" Sayori questioned.

"Well, remember when I mentioned the Cradles? How some people were living in flying cities?"

"Yeah?" Yuri responded.

"Well, these energy facilities that we destroyed or captured were supporting the Cradles ability to remain airborne, and with Arteria Cranium captured, the Closed Plan was effectively completed."

"…" Monika sighed. "Are you are saying that you killed more civilians with the completion of the Closed Plan?"

"Yeah, pretty much." James nodded.

"Well…" Sayori looked down in thought. "As horrible as that is, I'm certain you tried to limit the number of innocent people who died. So as long as you tried it should be…okay." Sayori relented.

"Yeah, cause it's not like you went into it looking to kill innocent people. It was something that couldn't be avoided, right?" Natsuki reasoned as well.

"That is true." James admitted. Strayed had stepped away a while before and was just staring out at nothing, just a shadow in the background that currently had nothing to add or mention.

"So, as long as it's a reasonable number, I'm sure we can understand why you did it." Yuri announced supportively.

"I really don't like it, but yeah, as long as it wasn't a huge number and you tried, I can at least understand why." Monika accepted.

"Yeah..." James groaned quietly.

"…You are going to tell us, right? We kind of have to know what you've done now." Sayori reminded him.

"I…will." He answered. "I should say however that the number of deaths was…excessive."

"…" Sayori sighed. "What do you mean 'excessive'?"

"More than you would be happy with." He announced.

"What do you mean? Don't make us guess." Monika announced, impatiently.

"..." James licked his teeth uncertainly.

"James, you've definitely done a lot of horrible things in your time, but as long as you tried, I'm sure we'll understand." Yuri announced.

"Yeah, I mean it's not like you killed a million people or something on purpose." Natsuki commented.

"Well, you are right about that." James sighed.

"Yeah, so tell us already. How many people died in your 'Closed Plan?' I promise I won't be mad at you." Sayori smiled kindly.

"Alright. Because of the circumstances of the Closed Plan, I killed…one…point one…billion people."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Authors Note: This is my favorite part in any crossover, the part where two different sides learn about each other. It was always going to come to this, the girls learning of the horrors of the 25th century. And it's not even over yet.
> 
> I ended up adding three pages of edits to this chapter, either cutting down on some parts or building on others. The fight between Strayed and Fanchon wasn't even in the original draft, but she deserved to have an appearance.
> 
> On that fight, I killed Roy immediately as one of my playthroughs of "Attack on Arteria Cranium", I did kill him in about five seconds, though using double chain guns and then blades, so Strayed could easily recreate that.


	18. Caliban's Trial

"…What do you mean a billion people?" Sayori narrowed her eyes accusingly.

"I mean over a billion people died as a result of my actions." James calmly restated.

"That's just…are you just exaggerating? Please tell me you're exaggerating." Natsuki begged.

"No."

"I don't…how? How were you even in a position to kill a billion people? That seems really unlikely." Yuri tried to calculate.

"Well, there were fifty-five Cradles that were built, and each Cradle contained twenty million people-"

"Just!" Monika interrupted him. "Stop talking. Honestly, what the fuck James? How could you go through with that? A billion, innocent people? Just like that?"

"It was not preferable, but I had signed a contract to see the Closed Plan completed, regardless of the consequences." James explained.

"…" Sayori sighed. "Maybe…maybe it wasn't you. You have that thing in you, Strayed. He's…it's so dark and scary, that you didn't have a choice. Maybe you didn't kill those people yourself, it did. Because it's darkness, and you're…better." She gave a forced yet hopeful smile, bright eyes meeting his.

Her smile. Her damn, endearing little smile. It was comforting, gave him an unusual warmth he didn't understand. It was nice to see. He didn't want to break it, but his honesty would. He was done lying.

No more lies.

" _I find your childish assessment insulting and degrading_." Strayed spat, it's neck craned in annoyance. " _The entire purpose of my existence is to fight and kill when challenged. Nothing more and nothing less. Civilians do not present a challenge, so I take no part in that business_."

"What Strayed says is true. It was created as a way to maximize our combat efficiency by stripping it of any personality or want or even a concept of self. That is why it usually copies my form or appearance at times, because it lacks it's own identity beyond that word it chose for a name. It is true though, that any action that was taken directly against civilians was done by my hand, not it's." James added.

" _Trying to define us as light or dark, good or evil, is inherently incorrect. I am without a concept of right or wrong, I leave that kind of decision for James to make. My only concern is fighting, and killing when in combat. All I have ever killed are soldiers and other Lynx_." Strayed asserted.

"Oh…then that means that…oh…" Sayori frowned sadly, trying to hide her eyes from him.

Monika placed her hands on her hips, sighing loudly before addressing the split minded person. "You." She pointed harshly at Strayed, who snapped to her direction with a blank yet unamused stare. "You are a monster. A stripped-down shell who doesn't deserve the honor of being associated with humanity, who fights and kills and does so horribly and brutally. But at least I can understand your reasoning. You make sense, albeit a strangled and bastardized version of sense." She then turned to James, pointing more fiercely, and speaking with a harsher tone. "You on the other hand have lied, killed innocent people to apocalyptic levels, and done so without even the faintest hint of remorse for your actions!"

"Well, you are not wrong." James shrugged. "It is foolish and wrong to feel remorse in our line of work."

"How can you say something like that? How could you take a job to willingly kill a billion people?!" Monika accused.

"Our world was not dying; it was already dead!" James defended, gesturing to the cold desert they stood in. "Yet still, the corporations continued to keep up an insane façade of normalcy. They pooled all the resources left in the world not in trying to clean the radioactive planet or escape it, but to keep an everlasting 'Economic War' going for as long as they could. They kept building us, the Lynx, as free slaves to The League's will, to fight and kill each other for their amusement. And when they finally realized how fucked the planet was, they refused to take responsibility for their actions, instead choosing to lay the blame on a fabricated terrorist group to do their job and take their fall. So yes, I killed a billion people, as I was contracted to do. But if I'm being truly honest, that isn't even the worst thing I've ever done."

The scenery changed again, moving to a dark concrete office. On the wall behind a desk was that large black flag, baring the name of ORCA proudly and defiantly. In the room were three Lynx; James, Thermidor, and Mazel.

"You've done right by us so far, taking down the requested League facilities. But I can't help but think you would be better used in hunting corporate Lynx." The memory of Mazel played out, rubbing his chin in thought.

"I-won't deny that that has a certain appeal it." The memory of James hesitated slightly, his reluctance turning to excitement being made clear to the girls.

"You see." Mazel explained. "I've been going over your mission records. Against normal forces or Arms Forts, you've always been quick. Never dragging out a fight. But something changes whenever you fight a Lynx. Patient, but never hesitant. Cruel, but never sadistic. I think, even if you don't admit it, that you like hunting your own kind."

"Well…Lynx are the only challenge worth pursuing. And other than Arms Forts, Lynx represent the will of their parent corporation." James's memory answered.

"You…you like killing your own kind?" Sayori asked sadly.

"I do. I won't deny that." The active James admitted contently.

"But…that's so mean. How could you want to kill another person?" Natsuki tried to reason.

"You didn't like killing civilians, that was clear enough." Yuri noted. "Yet you speak with such passion when talking about taking the lives of your own kind, why is that?"

"It is wrong of you to assume that Lynx are living beings. We are mechanisms, tools of war with independent thought at best. Do not have sympathy for my kind, there are many more who were ravenous and especially sadistic in their behavior. Now, keep watching a moment." James pointed back to his memory playing out.

"So…what would ORCA have me do then?" The memory of James asked with curious excitement.

Thermidor braced himself lower over the desk, his expression serious and absolute. "Hunt our species to extinction."

It was then that the girls noticed the memory of James, how wide in surprise his eyes were, how his lips curled with hungry excitement. How the current James smiled sadistically with the slightest tilt, reminiscing happily. Even Strayed bore a cruel smile, it's sharp teeth dotted in excited red eyes.

"And…did you? Did you hunt your own kind to extinction?" Monika feared asking but forced herself to.

"I certainly tried. Sure, I ignored the retired ones, but they weren't an active challenge so it would have been a waste. I know I missed a few though, not insignificant either." James ground his teeth in frustration. "But, I just about cleared out Collared's ranked and all of the irregulars. And sure, they could have tried to build a few more Lynx, but it takes years to train a Lynx to be proficient fighters. It wasn't the revenge I wanted, but I still enjoyed every minute in slaughtering those who bore our title." James stated softly, while Strayed twisted low, a pleasant growl escaping it.

"…" Monika sighed with a hiss. "You're insane."

"That would make me unhinged and without self-control, of which I'm not the first and have the latter in spades. Truly, you don't become Rank One of your generation with anything but a sound mind and unbreakable will." James retorted.

"Then…do you really have no remorse for your actions? For the bad things you did?" Sayori pleaded in her question.

"Not anymore."

That specific answer was curious to the girls, an implication that could not be ignored. Someone, anyone of them could have asked what he had once held remorse for, but they wouldn't have to ask, as the answer quickly bounded into the room.

A young girl, the same age as James's memory, with burgundy hair and bright blue eyes entered. At her arrival the memories turned to her.

"Ah Judith. Come, have you had a chance to meet James here?" Thermidor introduced the young woman. She and the memory of James turned towards each other, each holding a curious and longing look.

Current James however looked on impassively. He stared long and hard at the memory of the girl, his expression unreadable while his arms were crossed behind his back. There was the slightest hint of contempt in his eyes, a hate that burned him deeply.

"Judith…that's…that's your girlfriend, isn't it?" Natsuki asked knowingly.

"Yes. Yes, she was." James just barely avoided sneering out.

"What was she like?" Monika wondered.

"She was…kind, thoughtful, creative. Everything that I wasn't." He admitted.

"Was she like you? A Lynx?" Yuri inquired.

"Yes, an irregular and different production type, but a Lynx none the less."

"Did you love her?" Sayori asked sweetly.

"…I did. I really did." James sighed as he answered.

"So…what happened to her?" Sayori queried curiously. James gave no verbal response. Instead, he hardened his expression, purging the vestiges of emotion that had been growing on him, and waved his hand.

The setting changed, going back to the expansive wasteland desert. In the far distance, an Answerer Class could be seen, stirring up a small dust storm at it's approach. Nearby was a blue and teal NEXT, a Tellus model, standing on a dune, observing the Arms Fort. James's black and white Aaliyah dropped from the sky less than fifty meters away, landing hard and stumbling slightly.

"I'm glad that you survived. No one else in the world could have done it. No one." Judith's voice carried over radio, from within the Tellus.

"…" A heavy sigh resonated on the same frequency as his Aaliyah stood to full height. Still damaged from his dual with Fanchon, it was near wreaked. The armor perforated by smoking holes and deep, melted gouges; severed wires sparked from within exposed portions; grinding and stressing metal screaming at it's every move.

"I'm sorry…that you had to carry such a burden, commit such a sin. But, I'll stand with you, no matter what." Judith assured. In response, his Aaliyah eyed her curiously, realizing something. He began to approach her mech from behind, his pace steady and sure.

"Think about it. The Closed Plan is complete. The League have no more Lynx to send. It's just you and me. We could shape this world in our image." She imagined sweetly, making a promise even as his Aaliyah came to stand behind her. Judith asked one last question. "Wouldn't you like that James...James?...!"

Quickly, his Aaliyah grabbed her NEXT's right shoulder, ignited his left laser blade, and drove it through her back, penetrating her through and through.

"I killed her." James finally admitted as calmly and naturally as anything. Even as Judith's horrified and agonized screams filled the radio channel, her NEXT arched back, emulating a person perfectly as it died slowly. She tried to reach behind, a hand gently coming to rest on the Core of his Aaliyah. In response, he grabbed that arm, pulling it away as it tossed her Tellus NEXT to the ground. Watching her squirm and die for only a moment, he turned his attention to the Answerer in the distance, calmly walking away, unmoved by the quieting screaming still echoing on the radio.

"But…but…how could you?" Sayori cried out.

"That's…that's sick. Cruel. Evil." Natsuki accused.

"You killed your own lover? Why?" Yuri questioned, horrified.

"…" Monika hissed hatefully, questioning how she could have ever wanted to give herself to a monster such as this.

"P-Please tell me that was Strayed. It was in your mech, so…Was it an order? You were forced to follow an order like you did with the Closed Plan?" Sayori reasoned and pleaded.

"It's…hard to explain." James partially admitted.

" _It wasn't me_." Strayed spoke up. " _I was aware of our standing order from Thermidor, to kill any active Lynx, enemy or allied. But I prefer a fair fight. I was going to wait to challenge Judith in a fair battle, not to backstab her. I was just as surprised as you are_."

"So it was all you James…Why? Why would you kill your girlfriend like that?" Sayori sobbed.

"…" James sighed, hateful resignation bleeding into his next statement as he watched Judith die again. "Because she was a Lynx, just the same as the rest. Did you not listen to her before? She wanted to rule this ashen world, subjugate the lesser and those weaker. I was tired, so very tired, of killing innocent people, of hearing their screams. See, I may be the worst, evilest scum to ever walk this Earth, willing to do any job no matter the indignity or injustice of it. Yet I am still always aware of what I'm doing, of when it is wrong. It took me almost a year to think about this moment, that I admit I regretted, because I did love her. But Strayed reminded me how important it is that we feel no remorse for our actions." He turned, revealing an unnaturally calm expression mixed with angry, burning eyes. "So yes, I killed the girl I loved, not because of my standing order to do so, but because it was the right thing to do."

Then Strayed stepped forward and snapped it's claws.

* * *

Being forced out of his head so quickly was jarring and uncomfortable, with everyone waking up with a notable headache.

"Sorry about shoving you out like that, but hosting all of you in my head was taking it's toll." James stated calmly even as blood leaked from his nose and mouth. "So we'll have to continue this conversation here. Anyhow, the only thing I do after that is 'die' in a ten megaton Kojima explosion and…end up in Japan last year? I can't explain that one, shit just happens I guess."

"That's…understandable. What have you been doing since? In our time?" Monika asked, rubbing her forehead.

"Well, after hiding my Next, I partly disassembled it, plugged the reactor into the local power grid, and built a company around selling reverse-engineered twenty-fifth century tech to help fund my efforts in rebuilding it." James explained.

"Do you mean that new weapon and power company, 'Chrome'?" Yuri realized.

"Yes."

"Oh." Monika realized as well. "So, you didn't just arrange to sponsor our club; that's just your money?"

"Yes."

"Huh! James sponsored the club? For how much?" Sayori asked in confusion.

"He's sponsored us for…a million Yen a week." Monika reluctantly admitted.

"A million! A week!" Natsuki shouted.

"Ah hehe, James? Don't you think that's a little…excessive?" Sayori questioned.

"Not at all. That seemed like a reasonable number to round it off at." James dismissed.

"…" Monika sighed. "What else were you doing?"

"I made contact with a group called the 'Yakuza' to inquire about any mercenary work."

"…James…the Yakuza…are an organized crime group." Monika informed him in surprise.

"I'm well aware of that fact. That is why I sought them out." James dismissively answered.

"James…what kind of things did you do for the Yakuza?" Monika questioned worriedly.

"High risk or high body count kill contracts exclusively. At times, they also served as intermediaries for jobs the government wanted handled but couldn't touch, such as assaulting bases of foreign influence."

"So…you're still killing people…" Sayori commented in saddened shock.

"Of course. That's what I was created to do. I am always searching for contracts to complete."

"So that's what you do when you go out at night?" Natsuki realized.

"Yes."

"Those recent news stories…all those grotesque slaughters all over the city…that was you?" Yuri reasoned.

"Yes."

"Did you…" Monika began hesitantly. "Did you put Riku and Mei in a coma, and kill Touma and Hina?

"Yes."

"…And…" Monika started much more hesitantly. "Did you kill an entire town a few days ago?"

"…That wasn't my proudest moment. I was in the midst of losing control of my actions, but yes." James explained with the barest hint of despondence.

"James that's…that's horrible. There isn't anything we can do about your actions in your own time. But…I can't allow you to get away with what you've done since. I…I have to tell the authorities about that." Monika reluctantly announced her position.

"I…see. Understandable." James relented unusually easily. Unusually calmly.

"I…I'm sorry James, but Monika is right. Killing is wrong, and you shouldn't do that, especially since you've had a chance to start over peacefully." Sayori declared quietly.

"…"

"Even if I understand why you did it…I can't allow it as well." Yuri backed up her friends.

"…"

"James…that's a really sick thing you've done." Natsuki added with a hint of hate.

"…Hmn." James hummed softly. "Of course. If that's the way you all feel, then I accept your challenge."

"Wh-What?" Monika questioned. She and her friends realizing that James was taking the news remarkably well. "What do you intend to do?"

"Prepare for the coming war of course." James stated naturally.

"War? What war?" Monika argued. "James you have to submit to the authorities or-"

"Or what Monika? Are they going to shoot me to death? Would you have me submit myself to a life in confinement, or, since I'm not human, experimentation?" James questioned intensely. "How many bullets did you pull out of my skin last night? That was also while Strayed was fighting me. Unleashed, how many 'authorities' do you think I could take while _playing_ at their level?"

"James!" Sayori raised her voice. "You can't fight the government, they-"

"They what? Hold onto flimsy concepts such as 'authority' and 'rights' because an ancient piece of paper says they do? Where I am from authority over the masses is directly linked to how many tanks are parked on street corners. 'If the masses fall out of line, cull them and get more,' That was the prevailing form of authority from my time. It wasn't pretty, but it certainly worked. I do not respect your form of government, but so long as they ignore my activities, they are free to keep pretending that they are the legitimate administrators of this land."

"You're talking like you intend to fight the whole world alone." Yuri realized.

"And why wouldn't I? I enjoy a good challenge." James smiled cruelly.

"James! You can't fight the whole world alone! That's crazy!" Natsuki shouted.

"I already have before and won, why would now be any different?" James reasoned calmly. "I've honestly already looked into the possibility, and I figure I could have this pathetic and archaic era subjected within three years, two if I feel like taking things seriously."

"How serious?" Monika asked hesitantly. "How would you do it?"

"Well, a lot of nuclear weapons, probably. See, I didn't spend those six months without a body doing nothing. I was downloading detailed schematics of all forms of weapons and machinery. I can build _all_ the nuclear bomb types; atom bombs, hydrogen bombs, neutron bombs, pure-fusion bombs, Kojima bombs. Really, any weapon designed to end human lives en-masse, I can make."

"So…if it's so easy for you…why haven't you done that?" Sayori questioned hesitantly.

"Because it's only _slightly_ more inconvenient than laying low and killing with my own two hands." James answered with flippant confidence. "Keep in mind I also still have my NEXT, which is more than a match for any army in this time, and a walking nuclear weapon in itself."

"So…if we try to tell the authorities about you, you'll just…destroy them and all other governments?" Monika figured out, just wording it to confirm it.

"Absolutely." James answered eagerly. "It's been a long while since I've had a good war to wage."

"That's wrong James. You shouldn't enjoy war so much." Sayori tried to persuade.

"It's what I was made for, so of course I'll enjoy it. Just be glad you don't have to deal with the far less negotiable Lynx who were created. I know for a fact that Shamir would have savored your deaths for as long as she could draw them out, before moving on to the other seven billion people on this planet." James informed them.

"Ugh, fine!" Monika groaned heavily. "In the interest of preventing a nuclear holocaust I won't try and turn you in, even if it's what you deserve."

"Mmm." James hummed in disappointment. "Spoilsport."

"If you're so obsessed with war, if you're just a bored day away from trying to take over the world, then…why did you join the club? Why hang out with us at all?" Sayori asked curiously.

"…Because you asked me to." James stated after a moment. "Because that's something I've never done before."

"So…you don't have any other reason for staying around us?" Yuri lightly accused. "Any interest in us girls?"

"No Yuri. If you are implying that, then there is nothing that anyone of you could ever hope to provide me as girls." James addressed in annoyance.

"Have you…ever thought about hurting any of us?" Natsuki asked, fearing an answer.

"Yes, I have thought about killing all of you on multiple occasions." James stated indifferently. "I didn't because of the slight inconvenience it might have caused me, even, if you really deserved it." He spat while staring at Monika. "In any event, I ended up being forced to hurt each of you anyhow."

"W-What? What did you do to us?" Monika recovered slightly, before accusedly asking.

"Quite a bit actually, because I found it necessary." James responded. "Mostly I used my psychic prowess to…correct problems. For instance, I'll start with…Natsuki. When was the last time you got terribly upset?"

"Hmm? I don't understand?" Natsuki turned confused.

"You know, the last time you decided to shout or accuse someone or otherwise get exceptionally angry?"

"Umm…the last time was…when…I asked you out. I remember shouting and getting really upset, but since then nothing has ever really been worth being angry…with... that was you?" Natsuki looked up in surprise. "You changed me so I don't get upset?!"

"Yes. As well, I did something to you that I didn't do to anyone else."

"W-Wha-What did you do to me?!" Natsuki accused fearfully.

"Before I say, you have to explain something to your friends here, about what happened to you that night, the state I found you in."

"What…What does that have to do with anything? That's private information!" Natsuki responded.

"Well, since all my personal and private secrets are on display, I thought it would be best to explain the circumstances of my actions, which actually is entirely dependent on your own personal secrets that you've all been keeping from each other."

"O-Oh…" Monika quietly mouthed.

"Do I really have to say it?" Natsuki complained sadly.

"Don't worry Natsuki, it won't change how we feel about you. You are still always going to be my friend." Sayori assured her.

"I as well won't see you any differently." Yuri added.

"A-Alright. A few years ago my mom died, and my dad…" Natsuki paused. "…my dad stopped taking care of me. Stopped feeding me. Stopped paying attention to me…and…when he did pay attention to me, he was always so mad, so mean. He'd…hurt me. He'd hurt me a lot." Natsuki relayed unhappily.

"I'm sorry Natsuki…I…I can't imagine it." Sayori drew her into a hug.

"Forgive me…If I had known, I wouldn't have been as confrontational with you." Yuri shamefully bowed her head.

"I thought…I thought so." Monika whispered quietly. "I thought I saw something. I should have done something…"

"That's just it though! I don't want to be treated any differently! I just want to be regular old Natsuki." She announced.

"Hmhm." James chuckled sinisterly. "Well, not 'regular' or 'old' anymore. I found you that night broken, dying. If I'd done nothing you would have surely died from your wounds. So I…augmented you."

"What do you mean by that?" Natsuki asked in confusion.

"Here, this is what I mean." James announced calmly as he took out his phone, changing a particular setting.

**/UNIT: NATSUKI**

**/OCULAR IMPLANT: ONLINE**

"EPP!" Natsuki shouted, stumbling back while clutching at her right eye. "What?! What is all this?!"

"What's wrong Natsuki?!" Sayori clutched at her worriedly.

"I see…I see…computer code? Information about my own body? Some kind of targeting information? What…What did you do to me James?!" Natsuki shouted angrily.

"I upgraded you, to a Human Plus." James announced casually. "Not a complete one, mind you, you are missing the gene therapy enhancements, but still a respectable cybernetic organism."

"C-Change me back!" Natsuki shouted.

"Hmm?"

"I don't like it! Change me back to a regular person!" She shouted again.

"I…don't understand? You've been upgraded, you are vastly superior to any human now." James listed off. "You are just a few steps short of being a Raven should you so choose. The most enhanced and capable human currently in existence."

"James…that's…I understand what you mean, but you can't just change someone like that without their consent." Yuri informed him.

"Even if you did it for the right reasons, you still did something wrong. Please, change her back to a regular person." Monika explained.

"Ah. Truthfully, I never considered the possibility so…I cannot."

"What!" Natsuki cried out.

"What do you mean you can't? What did you do to her that you can't change her back to a regular person?" Sayori asked while hugging Natsuki.

"Well, I cut off a few feet of her intestines, replaced her right ocular nerve with a mechanical one, added a bypass for a second mechanical heart, and added two A.I.s that are installed within her spine, as well as rewiring her biological functions to be reliant on these augmentations. Removing them would certainly cripple her and probably kill her."

"So…I just have to live like a monster now?!" Natsuki shouted in question.

"Hardly. Lynx are true biological monsters; I'll give you a full list of my augmentations another time. You are simply a superior human being."

"Did you do something like that to us? Augment us into…something else?" Monika questioned darkly.

"Physically no, the rest of you are all still human. You do have advanced psychological combat conditioning in your minds though. Think of them like…a reflex…or better yet, a mental condition for maximizing combat efficiency and lethality. Effectively, that makes you the four most lethal humans on the planet."

"So that's how me and Natsuki…beat six boys to a pulp…why…why would you do that to us? Why would you want to make us into weapons?" Sayori cried out.

"You were all in a bad way, and it was only logical to upgrade you while I was correcting other ongoing problems."

"What other 'ongoing problems'?" Yuri asked.

"Funny you should ask that _Yuri_. What were you doing most of last week?" James accused her flippantly.

"Do we…do we really need to talk about that now?!" Yuri loudly whispered.

"Certainly, because it's part of the reason of why I accidently purged a town and what I ended up doing to your mind." James retorted.

"Fine…I may have been trying extremely hard to win James over." Yuri explained quietly.

"That's understandable. That's a _mistake_ we all made at some point." Monika jabbed.

"And what did you do Wednesday, Yuri?" James announced.

"I…I'm really sorry I tried to do that okay! I was way out of line." Yuri apologized.

"Come now Yuri, not to me, tell them. I've already killed a billion people, comparatively your crimes aren't nearly as severe."

"Fine!" Yuri dragged out. "I may have been in such a desperate and deranged state that I may have attempted to…drug…James?" she reluctantly answered.

"Ah…" Monika acknowledged. "You probably went too far there."

"I-I know." Yuri looked down in shame.

"Yuri, what were you planning on doing?" Sayori question, just being able to hide her disgust.

"I was planning, on…having him…take me…" Yuri blushed in embarrassment.

"It sounds more like you were planning on taking him Yuri." Natsuki accused, having recovered from her own shocking news.

"…" Yuri hummed in embarrassment.

"Honestly, it's fine Yuri." James announced. "Based on what happened Thursday, I realized you didn't have very much self-control to speak of at that point."

"I remember shouting at my friends, but after confessing to you I…I really don't remember what happened. So…what happened? What did I do?" Yuri asked in confusion.

" _Your actions were so extreme it actually prompted me to take physical action_." Natsuki spoke up in Strayed's bored tone. " _You pulled out a knife, attempted to drive it though your gut, then after I stopped you, you attempted to bite out our throat_."

"Oh…I remember a feeling then, that I almost tried to do something I would have regretted, but…" Yuri trailed off sadly.

"Yuri, just…" Monika paused, watching her intently. "What happened to you? What drove you to be so extreme?"

"I…" Yuri hesitated briefly, closing her eyes as she spoke again. "I've had a problem, for a long time. I like books and horror and gore and…something else…and I like to talk about it. See, in the club you've come to expect that from me, and you accepted me as the girl who likes dark and scary books. But I'm also like that outside of club, and I'll talk about my interest ad nauseum to the point that I've driven everyone else away. Getting older, I've only just realized that fault about myself, and since I have nothing else of interest, I choose to be quiet, to retreat into myself to avoid being embarrassed for the things I love."

"I get that. I understand." Natsuki stated supportively.

"But sometimes I go too far. The stress of being alone and ostracized as 'the weird girl' drove me to…well to seek further depths of depravity, I suppose. I…well…it's easier to show you then." Shamefully, Yuri looked down, rolling her sleeve back to reveal dozens of long, deep scars and closing wounds on her arm, some only a few days old.

"Oh Yuri…" Sayori sung sadly. "What happened?"

"Yuri did you…do that on purpose?" Natsuki questioned quietly.

"I did. And…I have to be honest, I enjoyed doing it, I enjoyed it a lot." Yuri revealed, head bowed, hiding her face.

"Yuri I…I saw you doing that Thursday. I was shocked and went back to the room but, if things had gone differently, I would have tried to help you. I wouldn't have left the club that day without doing something for you. Don't worry, you're still our quiet and wonderfully creative bookworm that we love. We'll help you get through this." Monika announced supportively.

"That's…thank you, Monika, but I'm not sure it will be necessary." Yuri looked up, slightly puzzled at a thought. "Because the last time I tried to do it, I couldn't."

"What do you mean Yuri?" Sayori questioned.

"I mean that I sat down, ready to…do this to myself, and before the blade got anywhere close to my arm, I stopped." Yuri told, eyes up in remembrance. "There was no thrill, no anticipation in wanting to do this to myself. The very concept of it seemed wrong and I couldn't recall the perceived joy that I had from it before. I tried it again yesterday when I was alone, but I couldn't. It almost felt like it was someone else's idea to not do it. Was…was that what you did to me?" Yuri turned to look at James, who had been watching unmoved and still. "Did you take away my desire to hurt myself?"

"Yes." James answered indifferently. "It was detrimental to your health so I, or more accurately, Strayed, removed both the desire to hurt yourself as well as the perceived pleasure that you remembered experiencing from it. That and perhaps toning down your expressive intensity."

"I see." Yuri watched in curious surprise. "While I…do not appreciate being changed so drastically…I do know what I was doing to myself was wrong, and that I've gone too far repeatedly in hurting, exploiting, and insulting all of you. So, while I think you still did wrong, I thank you for doing it to help."

"…" James nodded slightly, watching coldly.

"So, what did you do to me?" Sayori asked, curious and cautiously.

"I'd actually prefer to say afterwards, because what happened to you is related to Monika." James replied.

"…Do we have to talk about _that_?" Monika whined with an unsteady and frightened tone.

"Absolutely, but after you explain what happened to you last week." James relented slightly.

"Well…last week, at the Student Council meeting, there was a bit of a fuss because of the fight between you guys and the football team, and also a few other things that they traced back to our club. When I told you guys that we had no budget, I guess that's when James decided to sponsor the club?" Monika reasoned.

"Yes."

"Right. And because of his massive rounding error and quick timing, the Student Council thought I was being petty and desperate for recognition with how much money I had acquired for the club. So someone, I really don't know who, started the rumor that I had slept with the Chrome CEO in order to get that money." Monika explained.

"That's…I guess, out of context, I could see that." Yuri noted.

"What! Why didn't I hear anything about that?!" Natsuki shouted in surprise.

"That's cause we really don't talk to anyone else. I only heard about it by chance, but I knew it wasn't true." Sayori added.

"Yeah. Well after that I went from one of the most popular girls in the school to some kind of petty slut and I got mocked and…assaulted for it."

"Wait really!? What happened?" Sayori cried out.

"The first and last time someone touched my butt. The later was this week and I…broke his wrist? James, you said you put a combat response thing in our heads?"

"Yes. In response to a physical assault or other stress it would have activated and responded with an appropriate amount of force."

"James…you made me and Sayori beat several students brutally. How is that appropriate?" Natsuki complained.

"You didn't kill them, did you? You won't kill unless overwhelmed or assaulted with lethal force." James retorted.

"Mmmm." Natsuki hummed unhappily but acceptingly.

"So…also that week, um…how many of you knew I had an ex-boyfriend?" Monika asked.

"I remember you said something once, offhand and a long time ago?" Sayori mentioned with a shrug.

"Well I did and I guess the rumor that I was now a slut emboldened him to…try it for himself." Monika spat slowly.

"Wait…you don't mean…?" Yuri realized, eyes going wide.

"Mmmhmm." Monika hummed in annoyance.

"Oh! That's disgusting!" Natsuki shouted.

"Monika! Are you alright?" Sayori shouted in worry.

"It happened so fast I didn't think to run or fight back. He hit my head and he would have definitely had his way with me except that James suddenly showed up." She turned to him, a question on her mind. "Where did you come from, by the way? I don't remember you saying anything or hearing any running?"

"I saw you from the window outside the club just as your 'ex' showed up." James answered. "When you were assaulted, I decided to act."

"I guess, but how did you get there so fast? You wouldn't have had time to run down the stairs to get to me?" Monika questioned.

"I opened the window and stepped out." James answered emotionlessly.

"You…jumped off the third story of a building to help me?" Monika asked in surprise.

"Yes."

"James! You can't just jump out of a building! You could have gotten hurt!" Sayori shouted.

"Terminal velocity is less than twenty percent of the force I can endure." James answered.

"Ah. Well, even though I just barely disapprove of what you did to him, I thank you again for stopping him." Monika stated. "Still, afterward you did something to me. I think, from how I feel about things, you took away my worries for trivial things? Like, I don't really give a shit about the rumors anymore, also since they changed from me being a slut to some kind of criminal I think, but it's really not important anymore how people see me. That was your doing, right?

"Yes." James answered. "Something I can explain now, since you've told everything that you experienced, is what happened with Sayori. Do you remember when I said 'Sayori's mind is fragile, don't mention _it_ to her'?"

"Yes…" Monika carried the 's' on for a second, dreading the coming conversation.

"That was a lie. The reason I didn't want you to say anything is because the program I placed in Sayori automatically deletes that memory and any notion involving that particular action. I told you not to say anything because you might both notice her memory going blank for a second."

"Wait…you're saying…something happened that I can't remember?" Sayori questioned in shock.

"Many things happened that you do not remember. In fact, my involvement means that an entire concept is missing from your mind." James explained. "Have you ever noticed yourself losing track of time, thinking about something and then reaffirming that idea repeatedly for no reason?"

"Yeah, that happens a lot actually…that's…something is…making me forget…?" Sayori looked up sadly. "You did that to me?" She started to tear up. "Why would…why would you do that to me? What is it you're not telling me?"

"I cannot tell you while that program is still active. In telling you it will appear from your position that I say nothing at all." James explained.

"I don't care, just tell me!"

"…-"

"Please, just tell me already!" Sayori pleaded once again.

"I already did."

"H-Huh?" Sayori looked around in confusion. James looked on unmoved. Monika was looking away with a guilty expression. Yuri's head was tilted sadly, her expression pained, and her hands curled up at her chest. Natsuki looking on horrified, starting to cry.

"Sayori! I'm! I'm sorry! If I had known I would…I would…" Natsuki cried out while hugging her.

"What…what did he say?" She questioned.

"He said that-" Natsuki began. Paying attention this time, Sayori noted how time skipped a moment.

"Huh? What…what did you say? I didn't hear it?" Sayori questioned again.

"Sayori…you…you can't remember what we are saying?" Natsuki questioned.

"I did explain that this would happen." James commented. "You won't be able to comprehend what we are trying to tell you while that program is active."

"Is it…is it so bad you don't want me to know?" Sayori asked, uncertain.

"It is…very bad. Very sad, but…I think you should know." Natsuki informed her.

"This is…this might be one of those instances where 'ignorance is bliss.' Maybe…it is better that you don't know." Yuri suggested.

"I think-" Monika began.

"CHH!" James hissed, cutting her off. "You _specifically_ don't get a say in this matter, Monika."

Natsuki and Yuri exchanged a curious and concerned look, the implications of that statement being unsettling.

"I feel like, I want to know. Is there anyway that you can tell me? Like…can you write it down, or maybe act it out?" Sayori requested.

"The program is very comprehensive, as soon as you are capable of perceiving what it is we are trying to tell you, you will instantly forget it. Yes, I am capable of turning off the program, but it will take several minutes of manipulating your mind, which will be dangerous and uncomfortable." James explained.

"That's what I want. I want to remember. I want to know. Please." Sayori pleaded sadly. That same sadness that he was so weak to.

"…" James sighed; eyes closed. "Very well. Come lay down, head in my lap."

"Ah…um…alright" Sayori did as she was told, unable to hold back the soft blush as she rested her head.

"This will take a few minutes longer than usual. I'm going to _try_ and make it as painless as possible, but I am going to need your absolute cooperation." He informed her, receiving a quiet nod in reply. Promptly, he placed both hands on the side of her face, forcing her consciousness down, and back into the folds in their minds.

* * *

Being caught in the haunting eternity, the gap between their minds, Sayori heard the familiar wails of agony she could not recall. Turning, she caught sight of James and Strayed. James looked tired, dark rings circling his eyes as blood pooled in his mouth, spilling onto his chest with an uncaring expression. He was dressed militantly, his long black coat rising and falling with each long breath he took. His normally vibrant, orange eyes paled, and unfocused.

Strayed was in much the same way, black, viscous fluid spilling from it's beak like mouth, blinding it's bottom row of eyes. Where it began and ended in the expanse was unclear, but she got the impression it was hunched over, supporting itself with one claw on the ground.

"James…" Sayori whispered.

"…" James blinked, focusing on her. "Right. This is going to be most unpleasant, so the best way to help you is…giving you anti-anti-psychic warfare techniques, I guess. Go ahead and get yourself comfortable."

"Umm…" Sayori shyly bowed her head, kicking her feet against the indeterminate ground. "Can you…hold me?"

"…" James groaned, rubbing his head in annoyance. Without answering he sat down, his arms out in invitation. Apprehensively, Sayori placed her back against his chest, listening to the slow but loud beating from within.

"Normally you would never want to do what I'm about to tell you to do if you are ever at risk of mental assault, but for what you wanted, you'll have to listen to what I say now to avoid a great deal of discomfort."

"A-Alright." Sayori nodded, listening carefully.

"I want you to imagine larger concepts than yourself. Eternity, infinity, entropy. Try and spread yourself out, to fill those concepts despite the fruitlessness of the gesture. Let go of even the most basic concepts of your own senses, of your own self, and embrace the darkness and the expanse, as if you are going to enter a deep, dreamless sleep."

"…" Sayori nodded again, her breath going quiet and relaxed. As she did, Strayed moved in, and used a single claw to penetrate her chest, already knowing what to look for. Sayori screamed of course, her hands reaching out and tightly clutching James's own. He listened to those screams, forced to memorize in exquisite detail as her soul was violated again. Simultaneously torn apart, knowing her pain better than anyone, and being unmoved, unconcerned, with the agony she was experiencing.

And yet…he tightened his own grip back even as he hardened his hearts against any sympathy a human would have felt.

Strayed stopped twisting it's claw about her chest and retracted it. " _Huh, this was unexpected._ "

"Hmm? A complication?" James turned to the demon curiously as Sayori curled up, placing her face against his chest.

" _The memory deletion program was turned off without incident. What was strange was that the program blocking higher feelings towards you was broken. On her own_."

"That is…unexpected. When did she break that?" James quired.

" _Within the last several hours. Either finding us near death or the honesty that was forced out of us contributed to this, probably both though. Shall I re-engage it?_ " Strayed suggested, flexing it's claws.

"…" James watched as the hole in her chest spilled bright red blood, how her's mixed with his own dark and thick blood. "No. It would not be safe to force more changes upon her, especially since she's had two extensive intrusions in just over a month. Besides, we never had any right to install that particular program, it was merely for our own convenience."

"…" Strayed growled dismissively and curiously, shambling elegantly away to think and to wait.

"Sayori." James called lightly yet emotionlessly. "Come back now, we are finished. It is time to wake up."

"J-Just…!" Sayori winced out. "That…that hurt a lot."

"Yes, I did warn you as such. Still, it would have hurt more had you been paying attention or trying to resist."

"I don't…I don't remember anything…?" Sayori whispered out, slightly worried.

"The program is off, so once someone tells you, you will." James assured her.

"Can you…please tell me then?" She pleaded quietly.

"I will if I must, but it is not actually my place to say. Are you ready?"

"…Not…yet. I…can we? Stay like this? A little longer?" Sayori politely begged, her tired blue eyes meeting his tired orange ones.

"…" James did not answer beyond sighing. He did, however, recline slightly to allow her a better position, then ran his fingers through her hair as she quietly cooed, failing to hide her happiness, and fading restfully. Picking her up, he began to bring her back to being awake.

"I'm sorry." He stated softly. "Things are going to get much worse."

* * *

Coming to a few minutes after closing his eyes, James blinked tiredly, strained mentally and physically. The other three girls had sat together, talking quietly. At his waking, they stood and approached.

"Is she alright?" Natsuki asked concerningly.

"Yes, she's-" James looked down, frowning with a heavy sigh. "Sleeping."

"So does she…remember…everything?" Monika asked hesitantly.

"No, but she is able to remember. I was going to let you explain your part in all of this." James very lightly hissed through 'this'.

"Oh, I'm uh…not…sure…" Monika averted her gaze. "Do they also need to be here?"

"We've all shared our secrets Monika." James stood, moving Sayori off of him and causing her to slowly wake. He was not able to stand to his full height as he winced and clutched his head with his left hand. Even pained, he stalked forward, swaying with each step, until he stood over Monika, baring his teeth and burning hatred in his eyes. "Wasn't it you who begged me for permission to tell her? Were you not ready to confront your sins? I wouldn't have needed to do anything to Sayori if you hadn't said anything. I stand by what I did, but now you need to face it as well. What did you tell Sayori?"

"What…Monika." Sayori's voice grew heavy, her expression hard. "What…did you do? What did you tell me?"

"…" Natsuki and Yuri watched from the side, assuming correctly but praying they were wrong, hoping beyond anything that she did not say _that_.

"I…said…I said…" Monika hesitated for a moment, closing her eyes, bowing her head, and gulping loudly.

"Look her in the face!" James shouted, causing only Monika to flinch. She cursed herself inwardly, taking a deep breath, and stepped forward, regret painfully glued to her face.

"I said to you, the Friday before the festival…" Monika looked Sayori in the eyes, dreading what followed. "…in these exact words…: 'Have you considered suicide? No one would be sad if you killed yourself.'"

No one said anything for a long time. James stopped threatening Monika, turning to watch Sayori calmly and patiently. Natsuki and Yuri each held pained and horrified expressions, watching the other two girls worriedly.

Sayori gave an agonizingly long nod, turning slightly away with her lips parted in shock, her eyes never leaving Monika's. Slowly, her hands raised to hug herself as she closed her eyes, bowing with her face towards the floor, as all the memories flooded back in.

"That's really mean Monika. That's really, really mean." She spoke utterly calmly. Her hands came back down to her sides, clutched in fists. "You're extremely methodical Monika. You never do anything without thinking it through or how it benefits you." Her face rose, sneering painfully as she tears rained from her eyes.

"…" Monika watched in absolute shame, hating herself and her choice more and more and more every second she held Sayori's gaze.

"I…told you I had depression, that I had my bad days where I would need help to smile because everything felt dark and cold and I would feel worthless. I told you because I thought I could trust you, because I thought you could give a…fuck!" Sayori stayed calm up until cursing, at which point she shouted and stood up. Speaking again, her voice breaking as it did so, "And I loved that I could trust you! I loved starting our club together! I loved you as my friend! And you used me! Tried to get rid of me at the first opportunity to benefit yourself!"

"S-Sayori…" Monika cried, shaking her head.

"And I know, you knew, that I was going to go through with it!" Sayori accused. "You broke me Monika. No matter how that Sunday turned out, you knew I'd see James in my depression and be hurt, be driven to end everything because it hurt! Everything! Hurt! I was ready to die because you put that in my fucking head!" She pointed at herself, screaming her words out. "Do you know what it's like!? To plan your own death!? To write a suicide note!? To tie a fucking noose!? I was going to kill myself because of you!"

"Sayori I'm…! I'm so sorry!" Monika cried. "I fucked up. I really, badly, fucked up. I never realized how badly I fucked up until I lost everything. Until I realized how important you are to me."

"That wouldn't have meant a lot to me if I was dead now, would it?!" Sayori shouted, before sighing with a sneer. "I am…so confused right now, so hurt, so angry! You've hurt me Monika, and I don't know if I can ever forgive you…" Sayori's fists shook by her sides, as she sighed more tiredly. "And I know…that's not me. I don't want to hate you or hurt you, but that's all I can feel right now." Sadly staring at James, she spoke slightly more softly "I know now that you stopped me, that you tried to help me, and…" She paused. "Thank you, for that, but please, this isn't me. I don't want to be mad anymore, I want to…I want to have my rainclouds back, I want to be my old self again, please."

"Oh…" James muttered. "That's going to be impossible to achieve."

"…Why?" Sayori ground out tiredly, hands raised questionably.

"Well, as it turns out, it was a bad idea to remove each of your worst personality trait's and keep them within myself. That's not something we train or account for when learning psychic warfare. So, there I was, with your crippling depression, and your vanity and self concern, and your anger and apprehension, and your…depravity…" He said to each of the girls. "…And it…overwhelmed me. Took over and drove me to madness. Eventually, Strayed brought me back from the brink, nearly killing me in the process, but I'm back. However, in order to get better, I had to purge those parts of you in me, those fragments that were a part of you once."

"So…you're saying…?" Sayori questioned, an angry look spilling over. "That we are stuck like this? You can't change us back?"

"Yes." James shrugged.

"Is there anything you still haven't told us that we should know about?" Sayori begged angrily.

"Well…" James rubbed his chin in thought. "That last note of any concern was one of Strayed's ideas. See, when we realized Natsuki would be staying with us, we set one of her augments to change the release of dopamine in her brain when relating to you, Sayori. Such that, she would seek you out and want to spend her time with you instead of us."

"What…no…Natsuki…" Sayori whispered somberly. "So, was that like some kind of mind control then?"

"Technically no, but it was an attempt to influence her choices. I value my privacy and you both seemed to need a friend." James dismissed.

"Natsuki…" Sayori betrayed a hurt look, questioning.

"I-I didn't know! I swear Sayori! I'm sorry!" Natsuki apologized. "I just wanted to spend time with you, to get to know you better-!"

"Just! Stop." Sayori hissed, turning back to James. "How could you? Did you plan that too? Did you know we would…?"

"…" James hummed for a moment, before shrugging. "I didn't care."

"…" Sayori hissed sharply, baring her teeth. Rushing in, she slapped James across the face. "I hate you."

"…" James took the hit in stride, barely feeling it physically. Oddly, he felt something in his chest that he had no words for, a something that made him rub his face contemplatively.

"Monika." Sayori spat, regarding her darkly. "It's done. _We're_ done." Walking towards the front door, she turned around before leaving. "Just...leave me alone." And then she was gone.

Yuri moved next, going to leave.

"Uh…Yuri!" Monika called out uncertainly. "Let me drive you back home! I know it's a long way from here-!"

"I…!" Yuri interrupted her. "I need time to think about all this. About everything that's happened today. Goodbye James, Natsuki." She nodded, turning quickly and moving off out the door.

"Both of you…" Natsuki spat. "No...all three of you." She addressed to someone unseen. "You're monsters." She quickly ran upstairs, slamming the door to her room behind her.

Then there were two.

"S-So….what now?" Monika asked, talking to either James or the other.

"…" James continued to trace his cheek, where he'd been slapped. Sighing, he regarded Monika coldly. "I don't care." With that he turned to the kitchen, retrieved a bucket and soap, and began to clean his dried blood from the floor very slowly.

Unmotivated, Monika watched, not failing to notice how at each opportune pause, he would trace his cheek, betraying no emotion yet undeniably down casted.

* * *

Monday

Agonizing wasn't even close to how Sayori felt about going to school. Between the relentless horrors of the future and the betrayal of her own closest friends, she was utterly drained and exhausted.

So, she was surprised when she accidently found herself on the third floor, right in front of the club room due to muscle memory. But no, after everything they'd learned, everything that was said, there was no hope for that, not ever again.

"Oh…"

Sayori turned, finding Monika just a few steps away, guilt and pain etched all over her as she averted her eyes, finding the floor much more interesting.

"I'm sorry. I'll…get out of your way." Monika turned around, trying to quickly escape.

"Monika…" Sayori called out calmly yet tiredly, bringing the taller girl to a halt. "Listen. I thought long and hard for a while. The Monika who told me to kill myself is gone. She's not here anymore, and from what I remember hearing, she was at least sorry for what she did. She learned her lesson. It's going to take me a very long time to forgive you completely, but I don't hate you. I don't hate-…that's not the kind of person I want to be."

"Sayori…? Are you saying?" Monika turned in surprise, desperately hopeful and failing to hide it.

"You are still my friend. I care about you Monika." Sayori gave a tired smile, one that was not forced, filled with sweet honesty.

"…" At a loss for words, Monika did the only thing she really wanted to do. She pounced, drawing Sayori into a tight hug. Sayori quickly returned it, savoring it warmly. It hurt, everything hurt, but it felt good as well.

"Ah…"

They both turned to find Natsuki nearby, having also neared the club room apprehensively.

"I'm sorry." Natsuki muttered quietly. "Since everything is…over…I wanted to…get my manga out."

"Natsuki…" Sayori called sweetly. "I'm sorry, that everything has changed between us…that it can't go back to how it was, as much as I would like that…but…that doesn't mean we still can't be best friends."

"Mmnn!" Natsuki groaned, before running at Sayori and giving her a hug as well. Sayori eagerly and tightly welcoming it. "I would have been sad, if I never saw you again."

"Me too…Me too." Sayori whispered back.

Smiling from the side, Monika saw something from down the hall. "Yuri! Come on over!" She called out, causing Yuri to flinch into the hall from around the corner.

"I was uh…I was just coming by to get my tea set, but…" Yuri questioned at her approach. "I thought there was a silent agreement…?"

"I mean, I'm still really upset, by how things turned out." Sayori spoke up. "What we said to each other, what we learned. But while we're here, while we're in high school, there isn't anywhere else I was ever happy. I'd…I'd like that back, with all my best friends."

"With…all of them?" Monika questioned.

"I…yeah." Sayori hesitated. "I wish I hadn't hit him. He was mean, sure, but he was only trying to help."

"Do you really think you hurt him? Someone as strong and dangerous as him being hurt by a little slap after being shot so many times?" Natsuki suggested.

"You didn't see it, did you?" Monika asked sadly.

"See…what?" Natsuki looked at her in surprise.

"It was…very subtle. In the way he held himself, in the way he got right back to work. A part of him truly didn't care, couldn't be bothered to, I'd say. But another part, if it could have, I think he would have cried." Monika explained.

"Mmm." Sayori hummed sadly. "I hope he's alright. He's weird and scary, but he was a part of this club. Do you think we'll ever convince him to come back? Do you think he'd even want that? Being a mercenary and all?"

"Uhh…" Yuri moaned in surprise. "That's…probably not going to be a problem."

"Hmm? Why?" Sayori questioned, turning around to her.

"Just…look." Yuri gestured to the door of the club room. The three other girls crowded around, looking though the small window into the club.

"Ah what the hell?" Monika half-shouted, opening the door.

"Uh…James?" Sayori questioned, seeing him in the club alone.

"…Hi." James waved unsurprised, turning back to reading a book. He still had a large white bandage bound to his forehead.

"James…what are you doing here?" Monika questioned him.

"…This is the Literature Club. I am a member of it." He answered in slight confusion.

"But…after this weekend…it kind of all fell apart. No one wanted to be here." Sayori suggested.

"Evidently not." James gestured to all of them.

"Well, we're at least talking about it, but that doesn't explain why you're here alone." Monika argued.

"…because I am a member of the Literature Club." James repeated himself, only slightly annoyed.

"James, you can't be in a club with only one member." Yuri explained.

"Well, yeah, on paper you are right." James relented slightly. "However, until I am verbally dismissed, I will forever be possessed with a bitter obligation to this club."

"Forever? Do you mean until death?" Natsuki questioned.

"No, that's just silly." James dismissed. "Death is no excuse to end loyalty to a cause."

"…Do we? Have a different definition for death or something? That doesn't make any sense." Monika questioned.

"…" James sighed, standing to address them. "I am a citizen of Anatolia, but Anatolia is gone. I am a citizen of Line Ark, but Line Ark is gone. I am a Lynx of ORCA, but ORCA is gone. Just because something is gone, doesn't mean you stop being a part of it."

"But…you're a soldier, a mercenary from a far flung and war-torn future. Why would you even have any obligation to our club?" Sayori questioned in confusion.

"Because you asked me to join." James said simply.

"So…what exactly was your plan? Come to this room, every day, alone, for an hour to read?" Monika asked him.

"Yes."

"And…what about after high school? What would you do then?" Natsuki asked curiously.

"Well, I would set aside an hour or so every day to read something not specifically useful to improving my combat efficiency." James explained.

"Would you…write a poem every day, that no one would ever read?" Sayori asked sadly.

"Yes."

"If you never saw us again, is that a title you would take? 'Last member of the Literature Club', right beside 'Last Lynx of ORCA'?" Yuri asked.

"Of course." James replied confidently. "We carry our titles proudly and bare them on our graves. Because no matter what we do in life, death is the only assurance we have. Our titles speak for us long after we are gone."

"But…why even bother? We know all of your secrets; about every horrible thing you've ever done. And you know terrible and private information about us. We know the future, how cold and terrible and violent the world becomes. How? How can we ever go back to how things were?" Monika asked him confused.

"I'll admit, it is certainly annoying that you know all of my secrets, but at the same time it is trifling and negligible. Let me…tell you, about the members of ORCA." James began, sitting on a desk. "Thermidor killed my stepfather. Neo was a geriatric bastard. Julius and Shinkai were die hard Rayleonard supporters. Vaoh was Mazel's bitch. Mazel was a calculating and cunning idiot who traded his tactical capabilities for strategic capacity. Totient was a walking corpse, from Kojima poisoning. PQ kept this stupid, little pet beetle that he paid a hefty amount of Coam for, and that he showed off to everyone who was and was not busy. Hari was shit at long term missions. Buppa was a mute with a compulsive drive to kill steal at the risk of being shot in the back. Luster 18 was a great fighter, but also an idiot no one talks about. And lastly, Old King, who was a psychotic, omnicidal, condescending bitch who delighted in killing civilians, and that was before he betrayed us. Most of these Lynx couldn't stand each other, and I would have enjoyed killing every last one given the opportunity. Yet still, all of us, save for one, were entirely devoted to a cause that we believed in, and we looked past each other's glaring faults in order to fight side by side, against the whole world. I respected them enough to carry the name of ORCA with me, for the rest of my life."

"Then…do you respect us as well? To want to be a part of our club?" Sayori asked hopefully.

"Of course. I wouldn't be here if I didn't." James answered.

"Mmm." Sayori grumbled sadly, rushing to stand in front of him. "James. I'm sor-"

"Stop." James interrupted her. "You don't ever have to apologize to me. Chances are you are probably more correct in any situation, especially considering this is your time, not mine."

"But I! I hit you…" Sayori responded sadly.

"You did. And I respect that." James answered back.

"Mmm. Hug?" She asked hopefully, a small smile gracing her.

"…" James sighed, but made no effort to resist as Sayori wrapped her arms around him, burying her head into his chest, listening to the slow yet loud beating.

"You're scary and you've done bad things. But you also wanted to help me. You're still my best friend James." Sayori replied happily.

"You are…a friend as well." James relented, lightly hugging back.

"You did something really weird to me." Natsuki accused softly. "But you helped me out, and made the last month the best in my life so far. So, thank you."

"Of course." James nodded to her.

"I've been able to move on from a very difficult time in my life because of you. Thank you." Yuri spoke softly and directly.

"…" He nodded to her as well.

"I think…" Monika thought grimly. "I think I would have never been a better person if I hadn't met you. You helped turn me around. So, thanks."

"…" Another quiet nod from James.

"Okay!" Sayori shouted happily. "The club is back together!"

A sudden and longing thirst came over James. His fingers twitched briefly in anticipation. _Curious_. Strayed thought. This was not a prediction hours, or even days in advance. It was a promise much farther out, and longer again still. A promise not of a simple job, but of unrestricted and bloody war, to pile the corpses of their enemies high in their name.

James smiled honestly with his friends, hopeful, and patient.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: And that is half-way through the story! (In plot not in length) I've had a lot of fun writing this story and can only hope every one here is as excited as I am for what is to come. Thank you again for reading and please feel free to let me know what you thought! Until next time!
> 
> The following has been copied and pasted from DM's on Fanfic, regarding my creation process for Lynx in this story, and you deserve to read it too if you wish:   
> My take on the augmentation process for Lynx (as well as their structural design) is actually based from the games Bloodborne and Halo, as well as the Terminator franchise. As far as lore goes...there isn't any. It is known that Lynx are psychic, and that some of them (specifically CUBE) are "heavily augmented". Beyond that though, I haven't found anything specific as to how they were created or what their specific psychic abilities might be.
> 
> When I (re)designed James/other Lynx, I looked at what they were capable of in the games and based on some very lose math, found that the average NEXT would experience a force of 200-300 G's, which, naturally, would instantly kill any human. So, I applied the format offered by the Terminator and Halo series, as well as my own imagination, and made my interpretation of Lynx to have metal skeletons covered in a high tensile strength body comprised of several layers of "futuristic" nanocarbon, which is really just a naturally progressed kind of carbon nanotube that can be mass produced. As well, it is implied poorly, and I might do it in later chapters, but their DNA has been reprogramed to be able to regrow this nanocarbon naturally.
> 
> The Bloodborne inspiration comprises the "how" they became Lynx. If you are unfamiliar with the game, I will summarize an early plot point. In Bloodborne, a (cursed) blood can cure any disease and grant the user enhanced strength, agility, and reflexes, at the slight cost of turning the user insane and a giant monster in eventuality. This mirrors my creation process for Lynx as they have to be comprehensively torn apart, with every cell in their body being either genetically enhanced into something specifically nonhuman, or replaced entirely with mechanical facsimile. I found this appropriate as Bloodborne and Armored Core 4 were both made by Hidetaka Miyazaki of FromSoftware, who has a clear interest in telling stories where characters abandon their humanity for power, and going too far while doing so.


	19. The Calm

Before School/ Next Day

Despite his grievous wounds still being open, exposing metal bones, James continued to go to school, wearing thick bandages to compensate.

Arriving to his first class of the day, a history class for first year students, he noticed a minor commotion from within that quieted at his approach, with the door slightly ajar. Curious, James continued, opening the door only for a bucket of water to fall on him. He managed to catch the bucket before it hit him, but not it's contents. Fortunately, he had already sprayed a hydrophobic solution onto his clothes, belongings, and even his bandage, meaning the only thing to get wet was his hair.

For some reason most of his classmates began to laugh at that moment, perhaps someone had just told a joke that he had not heard. Humans of this time period were strange, with their jokes and quips, let alone their wasteful and frivolous treatment of resources. That bucket of water for instance would have been worth about twenty thousand Coam in his time, due to it's volume and purity. So, for someone to just forget it on top of a door was a concept that he could not fathom.

Slightly annoyed and inconveniently moist, James shrugged, setting the bucket down and squeezing the water out of his hair as he sat at the back of the room. The laughter slowly fell to serious quiet as his classmates saw how apathetic he was to his situation.

"Uhh…James?" A small, dark haired first year asked next to him.

"Good morning Kei." James responded politely yet indifferently.

"I uh…I noticed that you've had that bandage on two days now. Are you alright?" Kei asked quietly.

"I'm fine. I had a minor accident." James dismissed her concerns.

"Oh…I'm sorry. W-well…" Kei gulped as she fought to find courage. "What are you doing afterschool?"

"I attend the Literature Club afterschool."

"Ah…well…maybe I'll come and see what's that's like then…if that's alright?" She suggested shyly.

"Hmm." James hummed quietly, being unable to support or dismiss her for any obvious reasons.

* * *

Club / Eight Hours Later

He had not been in the room for ten seconds before Monika confronted him. "James…can we, ask you a few more questions?"

"…Very well." James answered after a short pause, taking a seat, and being surrounded by the other girls of the club.

"There was a couple of things we didn't get to due to the…excitement…over what we learned." Monika informed him, speaking for her friends for the moment. "How was it that Strayed was able to take over Natsuki?"

"Strayed is trained in advanced psychic warfare techniques. Part of that includes the ability to shift it's conceptual presence outside of our brain and into the minds of others. Normally this is done merely for information gathering and is limited to a range of physical contact, while being careful that our target doesn't have anti-psychic warfare training. When it entered Natsuki's mind to change her feelings, there was an oversight. Her genome has markers that will be favorable in a few generations to future psychics, and as a result some unused connections exist in her brain that it…snagged on, forming a link. You must forgive me, explaining nonphysical concepts is difficult."

"That's understandable." Yuri commented. "I think I understand what you are saying. You're saying that you have a mental connection with Natsuki, that triggered when Strayed was in her mind and stuck to a part of her brain?"

"That's probably the most accurate way to describe it, yes." James nodded.

"Is that…permanent? Can you cut it off?" Natsuki asked quietly.

"It is possible to physically cut that nerve, and I would have preferred doing so as the connection is dangerous to keep, however, the scanning technology to locate the specific nerve doesn't exist yet, so I have not attempted it."

"Why not? And why is it dangerous?" Natsuki prodded.

"Because I would be blindly cutting on your brain, effectively a randomized lobotomy. It is dangerous as, besides allowing Strayed to occupy your brain at any distance, it also transmits pain one of us might feel to the other."

"So that's why I was in so much pain at the same time as you." Natsuki realized.

"Forgive me if I sound rude, but you come across as lacking any compassion for us. If it was so dangerous, why didn't you cut the connection anyway? Without regard to the negative effects on Natsuki?" Sayori asked, an accusing look on her face.

"Because she is still a member of the Literature Club. It would be…inappropriate…to disable my allies simply for my own benefit." James explained.

"…I suppose that's the best outcome we could have hoped for." Monika noted, somberly and relieved.

"You said before that you have examples of advanced technology? Might we see some of them?" Yuri asked curiously.

Silently, James pulled a sheathed knife out and his phone, placing them on the table. Holding the knife up for them to see, he partially pulled it out, showing the sleek and flawless black blade. "This is a high-frequency knife, forged from the same hyper-dense alloy as Armored Core armor, with a high-capacity battery in the handle to power it's special ability. The blade actually vibrates to match the resonance of any material it comes into contact with, allowing it to cut through anything effortlessly."

"Wow. Is this a rare blade where you are from?" Yuri inquired amazed.

"Not really, though that's from a Lynx, mind you. These blades sell for fifteen thousand Coam a piece, though I haven't quite figured out a Coam to Yen conversion rate that makes sense, seeing as fresh fruit would cost many times more than this knife. I would say though that the average Next mission brings in about two hundred thousand Coam after maintenance and rearming costs."

"What about your phone there?" Natsuki wondered out loud, pointing to the unassuming block of silver metal that didn't look too dissimilar to any other smart phone they might have.

"This is a fairly standard communications terminal. It has a five hundred and twelve terabyte memory and can perform about a quintillion operations a second. Besides offering communications and informational access, it also has built in medical scanners, Geiger counter, hologram emitter, assistant A.I., electronic warfare and counter-electronic warfare suites, satellite uplink, and isolated emulator programs. It's actually currently operating multiple emulated phones right now. It also features a biometric lock that can only be opened with my genetic material and internal electrical pattern, as well as a thousand-and-sixty-four-character password."

"I'm sorry, what?" Monika blinked in surprise. "I get all that tech and all but a password over a thousand characters long? How would you even remember that, let alone type that out?"

"Well, I can remember it. My mind was augmented heavily, so I have an even larger hard drive in my head with more than enough memory. As for 'typing' the password, I actually have tiny radio emitters in my fingertips, that allow me to send and receive small data packets quickly."

"That's uh…cool, I think." Natsuki added.

"Hmm." Yuri hummed out loud. "I can tell that this is really advanced tech, but…I would have thought that it would be more advanced given that it's over four hundred years from the future?"

"Don't forget that each Great Destruction stagnated all forms of advancement. Computers haven't been improved at all since the last one." James reminded her.

"Oh, I see now." Yuri nodded along.

"Hold on." Sayori realized. "You said that food cost more than your knife, and that your knife isn't exactly cheap itself. Exactly how much does food cost in your time?"

"Well, most food as you know it is very expensive. Something like an apple goes for about fifty thousand Coam a piece, and animal meat much more. You must remember that most biological material was lost during the Third Great Destruction, so that even industrialized, farming isn't even a fraction of what is available today."

"So if food is so rare, what do people eat?" Sayori asked curiously.

"Uh…" Natsuki paled in thought, having a slight idea.

"Most of the food that non-corporates eat is sourced from-" James began.

"Um…Hello? Is this the Literature Club?" Asked a younger voice from the door.

"-I'll…tell you another time." James finished speaking, turning with everyone to see who had entered.

A rather plain looking dark haired girl, two years their junior, though an inch taller than Natsuki, poked her head into the room. She held an uncertain air of caution about her, like Yuri, yet less embarrassed. Her soft red eyes were beset with concern and curiosity.

"Uh…Oh!" Sayori changed her attitude in an instant, jumping eagerly and wearing an inviting smile. "Welcome to the Literature Club! I'm Sayori, the Vice-President, and who might you be?"

"Eh…Hi, I'm Kei." She started from a whisper before speaking clearly.

"Hello Kei. My name is Monika, President of the Literature Club. Can we help you with anything?"

"Well, maybe." Kei rocked slightly; her hands clasped in front of her. "I wanted to come by to…to see how James was doing."

"Uh…oh…umm." Monika paused, feeling slightly confused and conflicted. "Yeah, he's uh, right here." She pointed beside her.

"Hi James, are you feeling alright?" Kei asked in a concerned tone.

"Hi. Yes." James replied.

"Hey um, why would James not be feeling alright?" Sayori asked puzzled and concerned.

"Well…It's cause he was…being bullied in our class." Kei explained sadly.

"…He what?" The four older girls said together.

"…I what?" James questioned as well.

 _…What?_ Strayed questioned loudly enough that Natsuki heard it.

"You remember this morning, right? When you got bullied?" Kei asked him.

Nodding, James then asked, "What is a 'bullied'?"

"Well, you know, that bucket prank that happened this morning?" Kei reminded him.

While the girls immediately understood what must have happened, James just nodded along, before asking, "What is a 'prank'?"

"How…how do you not know what those things are?" Kei accused, her eyes narrowed in confusion.

"uhhhUHH!" Sayori moaned anxiously. "He's still learning words in Japanese, so he probably doesn't know what that means! Plus his country has very different customs!"

"…Oh okay." Kei accepted with a smile. "Where is he from?"

James had planned for this eventuality and already had a cover story ready. Unfortunately, Sayori felt the need to blurt out the first thing that came to mind.

"Afpakraqstan!"

Monika, Natsuki, and Yuri paled at the butchered name of three different countries that fell out of Sayori's mouth. James slapped his own forehead in disbelief that his cover would be blown by such a stupid set of circumstances.

"Oh I see, that's pretty far from here." It turned out Kei might just be more ignorant than Sayori, somehow. "What is-"

"Ah! Would you look at the time! I have to get to an appointment today!" Monika suddenly announced with undue drama. "So…why don't we wrap things up here today and meet again tomorrow?"

"Oh, wait! I had a request!" Kei spoke up desperately. "I was hoping to…join the club as well!"

"Uh…S-Sure, of course. Welcome to the Literature Club Kei! Now I really have to get going, so let's all meet again tomorrow, okay!" Monika stated before jumping out the door.

"Eh, whatever." Sayori dismissed. "I wanted to get started on this homework anyway. Let's go James."

"Oh…you two, walk home together?" Kei realized, hiding her disappointment.

"Yes, we are neighbors." James answered.

"…And best friends too!" Sayori added after a moment, greedily grabbing his arm.

"Well, we're off! Natsuki, Yuri, Kei, see you tomorrow!" Sayori announced as she left, James caught in her grasp.

. . .

Just after they left the school, Sayori got a text.

"Hmm?" She hummed reading it. "Hey um, James, you go on without me. I…I forgot something. I'll see you tomorrow."

"…Very well." James accepted, wondering why she had to lie about going somewhere.

Following the instructions of the text, Sayori went to a nearby park, finding Monika, Natsuki, and Yuri sitting at a table waiting for her.

"Hey Sayori." They called out to her as she sat.

"Hey~" She sung in slight confusion. "What did you want to talk to us about Monika?"

"Something we should have figured out sooner. What we are going to do about James." Monika announced grimly.

"I uh…I thought we agreed that he's too dangerous to do anything about?" Sayori recalled.

"He is, which is why we four need to actively keep his secret." Monika informed them, having decided a while ago.

"If keeping his secret is so important, why did you let that new girl join today?" Natsuki questioned.

"It would have been more unusual if I had turned her away, so we just have to continuously watch what we say around her." Monika sighed at the thought. "We all made a big mistake in getting involved with James. We got invested and interested and now we know something no one should ever know. Secrets that would tear this world apart."

"Burdened with forbidden knowledge…" Yuri whispered darkly.

"Dammit Yuri." Monika held her head in her hands. "I'm trying to be serious here!"

"S-Sorry! It just seemed rather…poetic?" Yuri smiled sheepishly; neck arched down in embarrassment.

"Guys, if James's secret gets out and any government tries to apprehend him, he's going to wipe it out to stay free." Monika reminded them. "Our ability to keep that secret could prevent millions from dying needlessly."

"Umm…I was actually thinking Monika…" Sayori pressed her fingers together nervously. "Didn't they say the…'First Great Destruction' happens in 2050 following a thirty-year long war? Then doesn't that mean that that war starts in…three years? Maybe less?"

"…Shit." Monika paled. "But, since we know about it, we can stop it!"

"I wouldn't be too sure about that Monika." Yuri calmly informed her. "The way I see it, if we try and stop that war, we could very well start it. 'Self-fulfilling prophesy' kind of a thing. As well, James stated he has a form of precognition. Precognition necessitates that the timeline is already written, such that, no matter what we do, it will eventually lead to war."

"Yeah, yeah that would make sense." Monika reluctantly agreed.

"I have a question." Natsuki spoke up. "Are we planning on keeping this a secret from James?"

"I…I hadn't even thought about that. I'm not even sure how he would respond to us trying to keep his secret. Then there is Strayed…is…how would it respond?" Monika questioned hesitantly.

" _Why don't you ask?_ " Natsuki crossed her arms, expressionless and cold.

"Oh…what…what do you have to say?" Monika asked it.

" _I agree_." It stated simply.

"Agree to what?" Monika shrugged.

" _That you should try to keep his secret. While conquering this world is possible, it is simply exhausting to do_." Strayed informed them. " _As well, it doesn't matter if James knows or not. But…I think I will not tell him_."

"Wait…why are you agreeing to keep that secret from him?" Sayori questioned.

" _I'm not a messenger, I don't care what you say or do so long as it does not affect our combat efficiency_."

"I…see." Monika responded. "If I can make a request then? If Kei does manage to find out your secret, please do not kill her. Do what you must, but do, not, kill her. In fact, please do not kill where you really don't have to."

" _…_ " Strayed sighed heavily, hissing. " _I'll…keep that in mind_." It then left, and Natsuki's eyes brightened in thought.

"I wonder, would it really be so bad if she knew?" Natsuki wondered. "It might be easier to keep his secret if we could find more like-minded people."

"Natsuki…no." Monika chastised.

"That would be bad for a number of reasons." Yuri began to list off. "First of all, it's much easier for a secret to become known the more people that know about it. As well as the nature of his secret; an inhuman super-soldier from an apocalyptic future, trapped in our time and hiding amongst us? We only accepted it as we happened upon it and he told us slowly. It would be much more difficult for someone younger to come to terms with that, let alone be able to handle the shock if they saw him doing something…illegal or impossible."

"Oh…yeah…sorry." Natsuki realized, accepting it.

"By the way Sayori, please be more mindful before you shout out facts about James you just make up." Monika chastised her as well. "That country you shouted for where he comes from? It doesn't exist."

"…Uh…" Sayori groaned, thinking hard. "Oh! SHHH-!" She managed to reign in the anger, redirecting it to a different word. "Poop!"

* * *

Lunch / Next Day

As a Lynx, it was highly important that he receive a high caloric intake every day. He could fast for an extended period of time, but preferred consuming between four thousand and six thousand calories a day.

Having selected a large and filling meal, he looked for a quiet spot to sit, when a pair of boys approached him with cruel and mischievous smiles.

"Hey James!" Sosuke, a second year boy with slightly better than plain features, greeted loudly. "Have you ever had the local delicacy known as 'wasabi'?"

"No."

"Well hey man, have as much as you can then!" Haru, a geeky first year and Sosuke's friend, shouted as he poured a container of thick, green paste all over James's dish. "Be sure to eat all of it!"

"…" James shrugged, confused and uninterested, walking past and finding a comfortably lonely seat to eat his now mostly green meal. He idly noted that several nearby people had taken to observing him, but he had already checked them visually for weapons, ignoring their stares.

"Uh…James? Why do you have all that wasabi on your plate?" Sayori walked by, stopping in confusion.

"Two of my classmates dumped it on my plate. It appears to be food, so…" James shrugged as he lifted a large portion of the soft green material to his mouth.

"They…what? Hey! Wait a minute! Stop!" Sayori tried to warn him, failing to do so as James quickly chewed through the wasabi, his head jumping an inch in surprise a few seconds later. She listened sadly as voices around them grew in mocking laughter.

"…Huh." James blinked, taking another portion, and swallowing it without reaction, causing the laughter to grow to questioning whispers.

"…James?" Sayori sat across from him, confused as well, but privy to a secret that might explain this. "What did it um…taste like?"

"Hot." James answered automatically, swallowing his fourth portion of wasabi in as many seconds, the whispers around now growing to include words like "freak" and "psycho".

"The word you are looking for I think is…'spicy'." Sayori smiled sadly as she watched him eat, ignoring the insults and accusations directed towards the mercenary she happened to be friends with. "It's normally too strong for most people. Did you…do something?" Sayori reasoned correctly.

"Yes. I turned off most of the taste buds in my mouth to limit the admittedly overwhelming taste of 'spicy'."

"Ehehe." Sayori giggled at the normally absurd answer. She sighed as she considered how strange things must be for him, and how he twice now didn't recognize bullying when it happened to himself, perhaps because such minor actions failed to register as danger or an attack to him. Deciding to do something she knew she would regret; she took a tiny portion of the wasabi from James's plate, slipping it into her own mouth. "MNNNN! Hot! Hot! Hot! Hot! Hot! Hot! HOT!"

"…" James watched her actions curiously, as she squirmed in open discomfort at the taste. "You…knew that was going to happen? Yet you did it anyway? Why?"

Gasping through the discomfort, turning red, Sayori smiled with an answer. "I didn't…want you…to go…through that…alone."

"…" James hummed thoughtfully, watching her suffer in a way that he didn't understand. How even in pain she wore an endearing and inviting smile. It gave him a stupid idea. "…Mnnnn." He groaned, frowning. "Why would you humans submit yourselves to an experience such as this?"

"Huh…what's that?" Sayori asked, adjusting to the burning feeling in her mouth.

"In order to understand you more, I turned my taste buds back on." He announced, glaring slightly.

"Ah…well, spicy food makes a meal…more exciting. It would be boring if all food tasted the same." Sayori explained enthusiastically. "Although…I would really prefer a sweet meal more."

"…I suppose you are correct in that statement." James relented, forcing himself to experience the strange sensation in his mouth.

"So, what do you think of it?" Sayori asked sweetly, proud of how she handled the moment.

"Humans are strange creatures with stranger dietary opinions." James shook his head, even as he ate another large portion of what was causing him no small amount of discomfort.

"Ahaha, well, wasabi was never meant to be eaten like that!" Sayori pointed out, eyeing his plate in preemptive regret.

Yuri had just come walking past to sit with her two friends when she caught James putting an absurd amount of wasabi into his mouth, Sayori doing the same with a tiny portion and squirming uncomfortably as a result. "You guys are strange." She sat down near Sayori even as Sayori giggled painfully and James glared at her in annoyance.

* * *

Club / Hours Later

After Sayori drank her weight in water to get the spicy taste out of her mouth, they'd returned to class and come back to the club later that day, suddenly realizing they had someone else to deal with. James managed to escape Kei's attention right up until it was time to share poems.

"H-Here James, I wrote this for you." Kei was split between eagerly excited and embarrassingly reluctant.

"…" Taking her poem, he frowned immediately. _This is a love poem. For fuck's sake_. "This is a nice poem. I'm sure that whoever you like would like reading it very much."

"Eh? But I wrote it for y-"

"Excuse me." James interrupted her rudely with a lie. "I need to piss." He then turned quickly and escaped her, getting outside the club room and leaving Kei slightly disheartened.

Watching this from the side, Monika thought carefully. Knowing what James was, she felt it would be irresponsible to leave any issue involving him unresolved.

"Sayori, listen." Monika caught her attention. "We need to try and keep Kei away from James. I'll talk to him, you talk to her, got it?"

"Hmm, okay. I think I have an idea." Sayori nodded along, turning to do as she was told. Monika left the room, finding James just down the hallway, pinching the bridge of his nose in annoyance.

"James?" Monika called out, at which he turned to her and stood at attention.

"Yes Monika?"

"What happened now with Kei?"

"She tried to give me a love poem." He ground out, looking out the window in annoyance.

"Well, that is certainly a…complication." Monika commented. "How long has she liked you?"

"I suspect it started in earnest about a month ago. She started trying to discreetly look at me while in class."

"And how do you feel about her?" Monika questioned.

"I don't. Though since she is now part of the club, are we allies?" James questioned as well.

"At the very least don't hurt her, and most certainly don't do to her what you did to us." Monika demanded. "Otherwise it's best if she didn't know about _you_. It would be too much for her to handle."

"Agreed. Anything else I should know?"

"N-Not really. Just wanted to make it clear how we stand with Kei. You…you are sure you don't have any intention of returning her feelings, right?" Monika lightly accused.

"No." James groaned in frustration and annoyance, looking down with his eyes locked with hers.

"Alright, alright." Monika shrugged defensively. "By the way, were you like this with all of us? Annoyed at the prospect of dating?"

"Yes." James stated confidently.

"Mmmmm." Monika hummed solemnly, uncertain if she should be disappointed or relieved.

Sayori stepped out of the room, approaching both of them with a light skip in her step. "Well, I talked to Kei. I think I managed to talk her out of liking you."

"Great! How did you manage that?" Monika asked her.

"Ah, I just told her a little white lie that she might believe. By the way James, you are my boyfriend now."

"…Why?" James cocked his head in annoyance and confusion.

"Dammit Sayori, what did you do?" Monika slapped her own face, holding her hand to her cheek.

"Well, it seemed like the best way of denying her James was to take him for myself. Don't worry, it will be the same as you were with Natsuki that one week. Just pretend whenever you see her." Sayori explained.

"…" James stared at Monika with hollow, unamused eyes.

"Well…It's just for pretend. You can manage that, right James?" Monika inquired.

"…" James sighed loudly, rubbing his head for a moment. "Fine." He ground out loudly.

. . .

"So your plan was…the same as what I did?" Natsuki asked accusingly.

"It worked pretty well last time, so I thought, 'why not?'" Sayori answered cheerfully.

Both girls and James were walking home after school, commenting and talking over their day, almost as if things were normal.

"And how do you feel about this, James?" Natsuki questioned.

"I don't. Since it's part of a ruse, so be it." James announced indifferently. His head was turned to watch the brief movements behind him.

"You know what? Whatever, so long as we don't have to deal with any more _complications_ because of you." Natsuki accused him.

"Hmm." James hummed, watching as Kei tried to discretely follow from a distance. She wasn't aware that he noticed her, as his skills in counterespionage were much more refined than hers. Still, he said nothing about it, just watching as she would follow from cover to cover, always failing ever so slightly to hide from the highly tuned senses of the Lynx.

He was under no obligation to do anything to counter her directly. Still, if she persisted in such actions, she may very well stumble upon his work and attempt to expose him.

On second thought, that gave him an idea.

* * *

Club / Next Day

Deciding to distract themselves from everything that week, all of the Literature Club made their way downtown to a bookstore. The whole way Sayori had held onto James's arm, in order to keep him from being annoyed by Kei and her away from him. Kei, for her part, watched them curiously and suspiciously, still very interested in spite of Sayori.

The bookstore itself was quiet, even as a few other random students idled between the aisles. Natsuki disappeared down the manga section to search for something lighthearted. Yuri and Monika were going to go down to the novels section, except that Yuri broke off into a history section instead, an idea coming to mind. Sayori dragged James to the closest section of books just to browse and Kei lingered a few meters from them, watching from the corner of her eye.

Yuri returned after a moment, holding a small book. She thought about calling out to James but decided against it, instead calling to Sayori.

"Sayori!" Yuri loudly whispered, bringing the Vice-President over to her. They both whispered to each other before Sayori returned to James, the book in her hands.

"Hey James~?" Sayori softly addressed him. "Yuri said this was a book you might be interested in." She held out the title of the book to reveal _The Art of War_.

"I see. What is this one about?"

"It's not so much a story as it is a collection of insightful quotes from an ancient Chinese general and military genius." Yuri answered as she approached. "I thought you might be interested in that since, you know…"

"Yes, it is certainly something worth my time." James replied. "I have actually heard of this book, it was highly sought after and tightly controlled, as the information within was considered dangerous."

"Oh? Why is that?" Sayori questioned.

"I suppose I'll let you know tomorrow, after I've read it." James answered, a small smile of excitement etched on his face.

. . .

"So why did you decide to buy that book James?" Kei had asked from his right side, while Sayori held onto his left. The entire club was now walking down the street away from the bookstore.

"It was something that Yuri recommended, and I have an interest in that sort of thing."

"So you like books about war?" She inquired, while also making mental notes.

"I have many reading interests, some of which I have yet to explore. I am still new to reading."

"Oh? Why is that?" Kei pushed for information.

"There were not many books in my homeland." James admitted, technically true.

"Ah. What was it like, growing up there?" Kei asked, curiously.

"Ah-That's not something he likes to talk about!" Monika stepped forward quickly. "It makes him uncomfortable to talk about his past, so please, don't do that." James hummed in the affirmative at her statement.

It was then that a car came by at relatively high speed, it's engine revving loudly. Correctly assuming their intentions, James swept up Sayori in his arm while turning his back to the road, reaching behind him for a weapon with his free hand. His head turned over his shoulder, he caught sight of a boy, Haru, preparing to throw something, while Sosuke was driving.

He stopped reaching for a weapon however, when a small, white object, about an inch and a half across, was thrown from Haru's hand. An egg, of all things. James had expected something more threatening like a thermite or incendiary grenade, or even a jar of acid, but was almost disappointed at the insignificant threat level presented, simply staying still and taking the egg to his back.

Hearing the two boys laugh as they sped off, James set Sayori down, her hands still clinging to his sleeve.

"Are you alright James?" She asked concerningly.

"I'm fine. Excuse me, I must be getting to work." He announced calmly.

"Hold on there James!" Monika announced slowly yet urgently. "I need to talk to you for a minute, in private." She stressed to her friends. At this declaration, Natsuki and Yuri moved to keep Kei from getting close to them as James and Monika stepped away from the group.

They seemed to be discussing something serious. Monika was listing demands and James either answered or had questions, much to Monika's dismay and annoyance. Whatever they settled on, James nodded politely, and Monika turned around and rejoined the girls.

"What was that about?" Kei asked confused.

"James has problems with expressing himself. I was telling him to…control his anger." Monika explained.

"That was him angry?" Kei looked surprised. "Was he going to prank those boys back?"

"Ummm, something like that." Monika admitted. "I was just telling him to be… _benign_."

* * *

Two Hours Later

Sosuke woke up to the sound of grinding metal. His eyes opened to the darkness, he tried to move, only to feel his limbs tightly restrained against a steel table.

"H-Hello?" Haru called out from nearby, being in a similar position.

"Haru? Are you there? What's going on, can you move?"

"S-Sosuke? What the hell happened man?"

"Oh good, you are both awake just in time." James's voice called as it approached. Standing between them, they each saw him drag an IV stand over, a bag of Adrenaline at the ready to be used.

"L-Look man! We're sorry for picking on you so much!" Haru shouted desperately.

"Y-Yeah! We promise to never bully you again!" Sosuke promised.

"Oh, I don't care about that." James shrugged indifferently. "See, you made a mistake. You attacked me with _them_ nearby, thus declaring yourself against the club. You, are now my enemies." He smiled contently.

"P-Please don't kill us!" Haru begged again.

"I'm sorry! I'm really sorry! I promise we won't tell anyone that you threatened us! Please let us go!" Sosuke promised again.

"Ah, about that. You couldn't tell anyone anything about what is going to happen to you now even if you wanted to. I made sure to cover that. As well, Monika insisted I not kill you, or maim, lobotomize, or otherwise harm you seriously. Still, she didn't say I couldn't perform a biopsy. So, I'm taking half of your livers."

With that, he hooked the IV line into Sosuke, undressed him, and drove a dull knife into his gut, carving deep and steady even as the boy screamed and squirmed loudly. He kept his face calm and relaxed as he forcefully and slowly extracted half of the boy's liver, placing it in a jar and sewing him closed, all the while, the boy crying out while under the knife.

Then he did it again, with the younger boy, ever calm and ever patient.

* * *

Club / Next Day

Every member of the club had arrived early, save Kei, allowing them to talk openly with the Lynx.

"So…James, what did you end up doing to those bullies?" Sayori asked cautiously.

"I extracted half of each of their livers while they were awake, with a dull knife." James stated calmly and indifferently, like it was the most natural thing to do.

"James…never do something like that again." Monika ordered, disappointed and disturbed.

"So you…killed them?" Natsuki reluctantly asked.

"No, I only took part of their livers and closed them back up, releasing them afterwards."

"I see, because humans can regrow their livers to an extent, right?" Yuri reasoned.

"Yes."

"I had heard they wanted to transfer out of the school, that's why I asked." Sayori announced. "Do you…hate humans?"

"No, why would I hate an inferior species?"

"I…think that's an answer right there." Monika clarified upon his statement.

"Well!..." Yuri forced the subject to change. "What did you think of that book James?"

"It was, curious." James paused, thinking of a good answer. "Many of the statements were extremely similar to how I was trained to operate, under I.M.W. tactics. However, quotes related to defending or maneuvers with large numbers of troops I either hadn't considered or disagreed with. As well, the corporations absolutely dominated the human race through fear and overwhelming force, negating statements regarding governance. Additionally, they were all in alliance to run an eternal war-based economy, disregarding statements of being wary or conservative with military expenditure."

"I see, that would make sense." Yuri thought for a moment. "What is I.M.W.?"

"Independent Maneuver Warfare, is how all Lynx were trained to operate." James clarified. "The tactics call for the use of a single unit, a Lynx and their Next, to dominate a battlefield alone. Since a Next can carry the ordnance necessary to kill thousands in a matter of minutes, I.M.W. dictates that they continuously move, never stopping, to maintain fire at all times and from all directions, never allowing the enemy to hold ground or to pin the Lynx into a kill box. I mastered the concept, mixing ceaseless highspeed maneuvers, overwhelming point-blank firepower, and relentless close-range laser blade attacks."

"You're very…excitable, when it comes to discussing your abilities in combat." Yuri noted anxiously.

"I gave everything to harm the corporations, and if that meant cutting down their troops, human, Arms Fort, and Lynx alike, then so be it." It was then that his phone started to ring. "Ah, I expected a call today."

"Because of your…precognition for violence?" Natsuki reasoned.

"Yes." James replied, standing, and stepping away while he took the call.

As he stood in the corner, quietly learning of a new contract, Kei came into the room eagerly.

"Hello everyone!" She greeted kindly. "How are you today?"

"Oh, alright, thanks for asking." Sayori smiled in reply. James returned, subtly excited and packing his things to leave.

"Sorry, but I want to go early to prepare for work. I'll see you all next week." James announced, leaving the room.

"Okay! Have fun at work!" Kei called out, causing the other girls to cringe at the implication. "Hmmm, oh! You know what! I forgot something! I…need…to go to! See you next week!" She then left the room as well.

"Should…we have stopped her?" Natsuki asked after a short pause.

"Uh…yeah, yeah that could be a problem." Monika realized, going pale.

* * *

Industrial District / Evening

Kei wondered what kind of work James could be doing as she followed from a distance. The G.P.S. tracker she had placed on his car allowed her to get there only a few minutes after him.

She didn't think to question _where_ she got a G.P.S. tracker.

She caught him, dressed in a dark trench coat, approaching a building in the late evening light. Watching from around the corner, Kei saw James approach the front door of the warehouse, with three foreign and light skinned guards at the door. While two stayed in front of him, the third circled around to stand behind him. Whatever was said between them must have been bad as the guards shouted angrily in a harsh language, pointing their guns at him.

James was quicker though, his right handgun shooting the two in front of him, while his left shot the man behind him without looking.

Kei froze, mouth agape as she watched him kill three men in that cold and dusty alley without any hesitation. Their bodies crumpled on the ground, pooling blood. With indifference and determination, James put his handguns away, pulling out two rifles from his coat, and kicked down the front door of the warehouse. Rushing in with guns up, the sound of automatic weapons fire resonated loudly.

Compelled by morbid curiosity, Kei ran down the alley, climbing a crate to look down into the warehouse from a window, to watch as James worked. From her perch, she could see the corpses of ten men already on the ground, as James moved quickly and efficiently, never stopping, and shooting every man that came into his line of sight. She took out her phone and began to record the carnage.

A loud crack that she felt in her chest was heard, and James staggered, but didn't stop. Instead, he pointed his guns up, firing a quick burst before jumping behind a support column. A man with a long rifle fell to the ground a moment later. James checked the wound in his left shoulder, his right hand coming away covered in blood. Incredibly, he sighed, rolling his eyes in annoyance even with a hole in his body.

Someone must have said something because he perked up slightly concerned, poking his head around the column to see a man with a rocket launcher aimed at his hiding spot. With only a moment to decide, James leapt from his hiding spot, dropping his left rifle while reaching to his belt, just in time as the column immediately exploded from the impact of the rocket.

Breaking into a run even as more men entered the warehouse to begin shooting him, James threw a pair of smoke grenades that rapidly filled the room with a cloud of white smoke that obscured all the men in the warehouse. He immediately jumped into the cloud, dropping his right rifle and pulling out a pair of black knives.

Obscured by white smoke, all Kei could do was listen as the sound of gunfire and loud screaming echoed from the building, which continued to grow quieter and quieter by the minute. Eventually, gunfire stopped being heard, with only the agonized cries of men being left. The smoke dissipated, revealing James, standing alone in a pile of about twenty mutilated corpses, covered in blood. He stalked slowly, picking up an unused rocket from the floor, approaching it's armless owner. The man who had fired the rocket was trying to crawl backwards with only his legs to push him along. James lifted him up by his vest, creating a large enough gap that he then shoved the rocket into, pointing down.

Dropping the man and walking away, the man pleaded desperately in a foreign tongue, for what was obviously mercy. Unmoved, James turned around when he was five meters away, and shot the rocket on the man's chest with a handgun. After an explosion of fire and blood, not much but a stain and legs were left of the man.

James holstered his pistol, then looked out the window, straight at Kei. She dropped below the window with a gasp, beginning to hyperventilate. What she had seen wasn't a gunfight, it was a slaughter. A butcher, straight from her worst nightmares, made real and walking amongst them. She was just a young girl, interested in the odd but curious foreigner, who couldn't have imagined that he was a monster, who slaughtered grown and armed men without hesitation and without difficulty.

Fiercely crying tears, she held her phone close to her chest. She needed to tell someone, someone who would know what to do, someone who could do what she was too afraid to do. With that certainty in mind, Kei ran from the warehouse, to get a ride away from this nightmare.

For some reason, she had a thought, that perhaps one of her new friends could help her.

Calmly, James exited the warehouse a moment after her. Reaching his truck, he reached under the wheel well, to retrieve the G.P.S. tracker he had lent out. Even while he bled from a wound in his shoulder, he smiled, his second mission already begun.

* * *

One Hour Later

Monika awoke to the sound of someone pounding on her door. Throwing on a robe, she checked the time, seeing it was just after midnight. Even as she closed in on her front door the frantic knocking didn't cease. Checking the peephole, she saw Kei, continuing to pound her fist raw on her door. It was fortunate her parents were out of town on a business trip.

Opening the door to let the younger girl in, Kei immediately jumped into Monika's home, shaken and wide eyed.

"Monika! Monika it was awful! I followed James to his work and he…! He…!" Kei cried out, her hands shaking.

"Easy! Easy Kei. Tell me, what did you see?" Monika calmed the girl slightly.

"I saw James…killing…killing so many people! I-took a video of part of it! Here!" Kei spun her hands around to show her phone's screen. Monika noticed for a moment how bone white her knuckles were.

The video began with James shooting and getting shot once. He rolled away from a pillar as a rocket exploded through it. Several minutes of the middle were nothing but gunshots and smoke, yet at the end, James could clearly be seen as he cruelly rigged a man who could no longer fight back to blow up, all while surrounded by numerous corpses.

Monika gasped, holding her hands over her mouth, never imagining that he could be so brutal. Even as horrific as the sight was, she knew what she needed to do.

"Did you tell anyone else? Show them this video?" Monika inquired.

"No, I haven't had time! I'm really scared and-and-and I just, thought that maybe you might know what to do! Like what if the police don't get him in time! What if he comes to kill me! I mean he hasn't killed any of us yet, so that's a good sign, right?! Maybe we can tell the police so he won't know it's us, I mean what should we say?!"

"…" Monika stood still, cold and limp as Kei paced back and forth.

"We just…we just have to get our story straight! We could say that we don't know him very well, or that he wasn't part of the club!"

"Kei…" Monika looked at her calmly, if tiredly.

"We could say that we never knew that he did things like this, or whatever you want me to say! What do you want me to say?!"

"Kei!" Monika raised her hands in a gentle stopping gesture. "Relax. It's going to be okay." She assured her in a gentle soothing voice.

"…" Kei's breathing slowed, assured by Monika's gentle words. She paced slightly forward as Monika came to stand behind her.

"Take a deep breath and close your eyes." Monika told her. Kei mimicked the words quietly to herself, nodding with her eyes closed. "Just breathe."

"Alright." Kei whispered, slowly calming herself. "Relax and breathe." She clasped her hands together as she came back under control.

Monika placed her left hand on Kei's right shoulder from behind her, a comforting and calming gesture, even as she nodded grimly, her muscles tensing, her eyes locked onto Kei's back.

"…" Kei took one large, calm breath, just as Monika lunged, her left hand clamped down on Kei's left shoulder, and her right arm wrapping around the shorter girl's neck. Her left hand then shot up, placed against the back of Kei's head, beginning to choke her. Kei's hands shot up to the arm on her neck in surprise, but was unable to do anything as Monika suddenly spun right to face backwards, throwing Kei to her knees while still strangling her.

"I'm sorry, Kei." Monika whispered, standing with her left knee on the ground. Kei struggled, clawing at the arm around her neck. Monika grit her teeth regretfully, as tears began to fill her eyes. "I'm really sorry." Her voice broke, as she focused on choking out the smaller girl.

. . .

"I see, so she followed me to my work? And took a video of it?"

"Yes, but she said she didn't share it with anyone, so your secret should still be safe."

"And you choked her into unconsciousness yourself?"

"Yes. I didn't want her running off or getting scared. It's better this way."

"You've outdone yourself, President Monika."

Kei awoke to the sound of a female and male voice over her. Trying to move or speak was met with resistance, as the adhesive and abrasive feeling of duct tape held her skin tightly. Opening her eyes, she saw Monika, standing apprehensively a few feet away, and squatting next to her, with orange eyes burning with curiosity, was the butcher of humans, James.

Kei began to scream, her cries muffled by the tape over her mouth. Monika turned away in shame while James cocked his head, watching indifferently as the smaller girl writhed in fear.

"Just!-" Monika demanded. "Just wipe her memories of you and us already, can you do that quickly please?"

"Very well." James reached out to Kei's head, causing her muffled screams to intensify for a moment, before they settled to nothing as Kei lost consciousness.

"I already deleted the video from her phone, so the rest is up to you. Please, set her up in a new school away from us. And put a few million Yen into her account for the trouble." Monika informed and ordered him.

"Of course." James replied. "There, Strayed just finished wiping her memories." He picked up the girl, carrying her over his shoulder.

"Something that's still bothering me, is how she was able to find you at work, and find my house as well." Monika accused knowingly, staring at James.

"…" James quietly stared back.

"I didn't even need to see the video, to know how much of a monster you truly are." Monika hissed out.

"You have to agree though, that this is for the best."

"Just because you are right, doesn't make what you do, and what you are any better."

"Perhaps not, but it is what it is." James remarked, walking away. Monika noticed the thin trail of blood in his wake.

"Dammit James! You're bleeding again! Do you need help with that?" Monika offered, her tone still antagonized.

"Ah, this? Unfortunately, I was seriously injured, but it's just the one wound this time. I have plenty of time to take care of it."

"How do you keep letting that happen? You almost died last time, and, well, at least Sayori would have been heartbroken if you'd died." Monika told him, still cross.

"Well, last time was intentional, as my injuries forced me to see clearly and fix my own head. This time was accidental, as I didn't think to look for a sniper with a fifty-caliber weapon again. I think I'll be investing in better armor from here on out."

"Do try to be more careful. Both from getting hurt and in keeping your secret."

"Very well, President Monika."

* * *

Park / Next Day

"So why did you ask that everyone meet here today, Monika?" Natsuki wondered out loud, as the four girls and one Lynx were all present.

"…Kei…found out James's secret, so I had him wipe her memories, and send her to a new school." Monika informed the group.

"Oh, that's too bad." Sayori pouted sadly.

"Ah…mmmm." Natsuki hummed in thought.

"I thought something like that might happen." Yuri solemnly noted.

"…" James watched quietly, unmoved.

"So, moving forward, I'm going to try to increase the difficulty in getting into the club. As much fun as it is, I think we'll have to keep any potential members away, simply to limit access to James." Monika announced.

"Yes, that would certainly make sense." Yuri reasoned.

"Aww! I was hoping to meet new people." Sayori pouted again.

"…Well…since we are all here now, should we do something together?" Natsuki suggested, changing the topic.

"Hmm…I know! Why don't we go to the arcade!" Sayori suggested eagerly.

"Ah, that's a lovely idea! Any objections? No? Okay! Let's go!" Monika shouted.

. . .

Of the many machines and games available to play, the one that obviously caught James's attention was the one with a plastic and orange rifle stuck to it's side. Approaching it, he realized it was a basic and rudimentary combat simulator.

"Combat sim?" He questioned out loud.

"Ahaha! You would James. That's a shooter game where you shoot waves of zombies." Sayori explained to him.

"Zombies? What kind of hostile is that?"

"Oh, um…zombies are corpses that come back to life, looking to eat the living!" Sayori explained enthusiastically.

"Sayori, corpses don't get up and eat people. Trust me, I know."

"Ahhhhhh…." Sayori groaned in realization. "Please don't say something like that again. And yeah, it's a fictional monster, I know. Still, this is a game I think you would excel at, want to try?"

"Sure." James nodded, inserting coins to start the game. Shouldering the toy rifle, he saw that it lacked a charging handle yet had a large button in the bottom of the magazine to initiate the "reloading" action. Once the game started, images of walking, rotting corpses that rapidly approached the screen began to appear. He fired a two round burst into the first 'zombie's' heart, to no effect. "Huh." He questioned, emptying half a clip into the digital enemy to down it.

"Aim for the head James!" Sayori shouted excitedly.

Taking her advice, his next target he lined up with their head, downing them with a single shot. "Ah." Then with precision unmatched even by a machine, he swung back and forth, accurately and expertly taking down each zombie that lumbered on-screen.

"Hmmm. Sayori, hand me the second rifle." James requested, waiting for her to start the second player weapon, before taking it in his left hand. With twice as much firepower, the zombies barely stayed on screen for more than a second before he cut them down. In order to reload, he would drop both weapons, slamming their buttons into his thighs before swinging them back onto target.

"Wow James! I was never good at this kind of game, but look at you go!" Sayori commented as he reached a 'three hundred perfect headshot combo'.

"That's not true anymore. Here, take my left." James motioned, handing Sayori that weapon.

"Huh?" Sayori questioned, taking the toy weapon in her arms. Immediately, the function and usage of the weapon became apparent to her, and she shouldered it properly while widening her stance. Eyeing the digital corpses calmly, she fired, beginning her own headshot streak, only about a second and a half behind James in efficiency. At reload, she reached for her waist, grasping for a magazine that wasn't there, before slamming her palm against the reload button, losing half a second but still playing expertly at the game.

"Hey what are you guys up to?" Natsuki asked walking up, eyeing them curiously.

"Shooting. Want to try?" James offered, his rifle held out for her to take.

"Umm, sure?" Natsuki took the weapon, and, like Sayori, an expert's level of understanding overcame her, compelling her to shoulder the weapon and fire with marksman precision.

"Oh! I didn't know they were so skilled at that game." Yuri commented, watching the two shorter girls make quick work of the game's enemies.

"Wait…" Monika realized. "Are they so good because of…what you put in our heads?" Monika reasoned.

"Yes." James stated simply. "Want to give it a go?"

"Well…it does seem like fun." Yuri admitted.

"I suppose." Monika relented as well, both of them taking up position on a second game machine, and opening up perfectly once the shooting started.

James backed up, watching the four girls ace the simulation with perfect marks while working like a trained fireteam. He smiled, proud of his work.

* * *

Three Hours Later

After several hours of continuous digital fire, the four girls were exhausted. They had, however, scored near perfectly, only missing about one in a thousand shots. The points they earned collectively had then been translated to tickets, which were then used as currency to purchase a small portable gaming console, which the girls agreed to share with each other.

"That was a lot of fun guys!" Sayori shouted eagerly.

"Yeah, who would have thought we'd been turned into perfect marksmen overnight?" Natsuki commented.

"It was certainly very exciting." Yuri calmly stated.

"It…wasn't so bad." Monika relented, remembering why they had such skills.

"…" James smiled quietly, following from behind by a few feet. Passively, he noted how dark and low the clouds were overhead, and once they noticed, the girls picked up their pace slightly.

Then, water began to fall, from a leak overhead. James remembered events like this, where an overhead pipe would burst under pressure, and water would fall into an underground colony; the citizens not even caring if it was greywater or reactor coolant, the accidental release of free water being too much of a joyous event as their aching thirst was quenched.

Except…they were not underground now. Pipes did not run through the sky, so where was this water coming from?

"Come on James! Let's get out of the rain!" Sayori shouted sweetly, yet urgently.

Unfortunately, "rain" was a word that existed in 2450. Only that it was synonymous with words such as "barrage" and "artillery strike." Sayori's urgent request came across then to James as a warning, that, combined with the confusion of a "sky-leak", sent him into combat mode.

" _Go on! Go_!" It shouted at them, pulling out their handgun and scanning for targets through the thickening sheets of water.

"What the-! Monika! James is…!" Natsuki looked back worriedly.

"He's-? Oh no!" Monika realized.

"What's wrong?! James! Why are you…!" Sayori shouted at him.

"It…it…it couldn't be." Yuri whispered to herself. "Monika…Monika!"

"What!"

"Think about it!" Yuri realized. "James comes from a time where the whole world was…fucked! He's lived most of his life underground, and his memories have been erased. Maybe…Maybe he doesn't know what rain is!"

"That's-!" Monika thought for a moment. "Shit! You're right!"

"So he's…scared?!" Natsuki tried to reason.

"Maybe, but…no." Yuri thought about it again. "He only has two modes, fighting, and not fighting."

"Then the rain…an unknown variable…has set him to be fighting." Monika summed up.

"…!" Unable to handle the idea that her best friend was suffering, afraid and fighting a danger that didn't exist, Sayori ran, towards the armed and combat ready Lynx.

"Sayori! Wait it's not safe!" Monika tried to warn her.

The Lynx, with both of it's minds stressed and scanning for targets and threats with all of it's senses, was perplexed and uncomfortable. Leaks only happened underground, yet there was a leak in the sky now. Sayori had just warned them of artillery fire, and it was straining it's ears to listen for the whistle of shells. Yet this damn leak was muting it's senses, both visually and audibly.

There were only two possibilities: The first, that this was all an illusion, and they were still underground, still in 2450, still at war with The League. The second, that a fundamental concept of reality was either false, or was breaking down. Neither was an attractive option, as one meant that everything over the last year was a lie, a ploy by The League to expose them or draw them into a false sense of security, or even, to experiment on them; the other, an unknown variable it had not accounted for, that it couldn't fathom and couldn't imagine.

"James! It's okay!" A voice called, it's approach rapid, it's intent unknown.

The Lynx turned at the approaching figure, gun raised, then forced to hesitate and point up as it recognized Sayori. She stopped, not expecting him to point a gun at her, but relaxed when the gun was pointed away. She watched as James had backed himself into a wall, knees bent and ready for action, with uncertainty and anxiety heavy in his movements.

"James, please calm down." Sayori pleaded quietly.

" _I can't…I don't…where is my enemy? What is my enemy?_ "

"There is no enemy, no danger. It's just rain James, please…"

" _Rain means attack. Attack means an enemy. Where is my enemy?! What is my enemy?!"_

"James…Strayed…no, both of you, listen to me!" Sayori pleaded louder. "Rain is just this." She held out her hands, catching water in them. "It's just water, that falls from the sky."

 _"Impossible. Water in this magnitude only comes from pipe leaks. Pipes leak only underground. Conclusively, we are underground. We are at war._ _Where is my enemy?! What is my enemy?!"_

"James! That's not-! You can trust me, have I ever lied to you?"

" _Yes._ "

"…!" Sayori was caught off guard for a moment, before she remembered, what she had lied about. "Do you remember when I said that 'I like you so much I want to die'? Did I lie then?"

" _…No_."

"Then I'm sorry, that I did lie to you, that I tried to hide my depression from you. I didn't want you to worry about me. I didn't want to make it hard on anyone else."

 _"…I'm a cleaner, a mercenary, a dirty worker, a terrorist, a Lynx. My job is to deal with that which no one else will, do what no one else could. I would have gladly accepted your problems, your pain, and shared in it_."

"But…why?" She asked, her tears indiscernible from the water drenching her.

" _Because you are unlike any who I have ever met, because your smile could never have come from the world I knew. It…_ " Then they realized something, and holstered their gun. "Your smile…it can't exist where I come from. If you exist now, then I am not…home. Of that, I am certain."

"James…it's okay. It's okay." Sayori whispered, burying her head in his chest and wrapping her arms around him. Quietly, James put one hand on her back, then traced the bow in her hair with his other. Looking up, he let the rain fall on him, cooling him.

"This water…it comes from the sky?" He questioned, the statement sounding absurd to him, but, if Sayori claimed it, it might just be true.

"There's a science behind it, evaporation, condensation, but yeah."

"It's…clean?" He realized, shocked.

"It is."

"I've seen people cheer and fight for the chance to drink radioactive water. I've killed dozens of innocents to drink greywater for a day. Yet clean water, could fall from the sky?"

"It can, it is." She assured him.

"Where…am I?"

"You're here, with me." Sayori assured him again. "Let's go home." She led him by the hand, his only certainty in this bizarre world. The little girl with a red bow, calming the butcher of a billion, reminding him of what he once was.

* * *

Her journey was one led by profit. Not solely monetary profit, but any profit that would benefit her. It had led her here, to what was clearly not home, a thousand kilometers East of where she had landed, and ten thousand lives taken by her hands.

She would have never gotten to where she was now without following the most profitable path. She always knew which one that would be, because she was special like that.

The long line of choices she had made, to lead her here, left her standing drenched in the "sky-leak", a bizarre concept to be sure, but one she would rectify in due time. Her next course of action would be to enter the institution known as "high-school". She wasn't certain why, but that one seemed to offer the most profit.

She looked forward to what this world could offer.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: Just a little 'intermission' chapter before the start of the next story arch. Thanks to everyone for reading and feel free to tell me what you thought!


	20. And Then There Were Two

Lunch / Monday

The sight before her was, contextually, familiar. It was, however, the exact opposite of what she could recall. Sayori watched as boys by the dozen more or less lined up for a chance to court the newest girl in the school.

They threw out words such as "exotic" and "foreign beauty" and "smokin' hot babe" to describe her, to which, Sayori had to admit, the new girl was very appealing to behold. In some ways she was very similar to Monika, in height, body type, and even eye color. Where the new girl differed was in her neon green hair, cut short in the front but extending down her back, and ending in vibrant red tips. While Monika's eyes were emerald green, the new girl's eyes were a piercing, burning green, sharp and bright. Her face was that of a foreigner, an American or European perhaps, softly curved, and shaded pale. The only really oddity about her was in her uniform.

Normally, the school uniform was not to be modified, with small and minor exceptions. The new girl was pushing this rather hard though by wearing a pair of cargo pants under her skirt, that completely covered her legs.

As for the boys courting her? Each was met with a resounding and softly spoken, "No."

A boy Sayori recognized as a compulsive flirt, Jiro, had also been watching the other boy's responses with great curiosity. Deciding he had a much better chance with a more forward approach, he sat down next to the new girl, grabbed her by the waist, and pulled her in close.

The fact that he actually pulled himself closer was missed by everyone.

At his touch, the girl flinched, hands flaring open, before she relaxed, looking to her left with a questing glace at the boy invading her space.

"Hey girl, don't pay any of these dopes any mind. I know _I'm_ going to show you a good time." Jiro whispered loudly; his voice tensed to sound smooth. At his declaration, the girl smiled.

Sayori didn't know how to describe it, but there was something inherently wrong with her smile. On one hand it was a sweet, excited smile, of a young woman enjoying herself. On the other hand, it sent a chill down her spine, as the barest hint of terrible violence and insatiable hunger was translated through her smile.

"Oh? Are you now?" The girl sung out in response. "Did you plan on bringing these _boys_ with you?" She then reached down, under the table, and between Jiro's legs.

"Oh baby baby! Calm down, we're still in publIIIIIIIIIIIIC!" Jiro's voice then shot up so quickly in pitch it could no longer be heard, his face going from amused and aroused to pained and terrified, bright red.

The girl then leaned in close to him, whispering something that made Jiro sweat and whimper, before she slowly planted a kiss on his cheek. Shortly after, she let go of him, at which Jiro jumped up from the table, holding himself between the legs, and crying fiercely. All the while, the girl kept the same, strange smile planted on her face.

 _Well, she certainly knows how to take care of herself_ , Sayori thought. Still, she felt sad for the attention the girl was attracting, the boys swooning over her and the girls standing off judgmentally and jealously. It was a lot like James, she realized, except, of course, reversed.

She hadn't liked it when James was being treated that way, and she certainly didn't like it now. Choosing to do what she felt was right, she sat across from the new girl, waving awkwardly, catching her attention, and greeting her kindly.

"Uh…Hi there! How are you?" Sayori smiled, awkward and uncertain, but motivated.

"Mmm? You looking for a girlfriend too?" The girl accused lightheartedly, her head turned slightly with a smirk.

"Um…what? Uh…no…I just wanted to get to know you more."

"Ah, that's too bad, you're cute enough I just might have considered it." The girl purred.

"Ah…." Sayori paused at the implication, unprepared and slightly embarrassed. "Listen, you remind me of a friend of mine. He's very nice when you get to know him, but he has a hard shell that's not easily cracked. You're quite a bit more forward than him, and I think you could, I don't want to sound rude, but, maybe use a friend?"

"…Hmm?" The girl paused, her smile dropping. "You…really mean that, don't you? I'm sorry I didn't take you seriously, I wasn't expecting to meet someone who…who would see me as a person."

"It's okay. And yeah, a lot of people in this school turn out to be shallow or petty, so that's why I wanted to get to know you, I didn't want to see you treated differently." Sayori explained.

"That's…thank you, it's rare to find someone as concerned as you." The girl smiled, more honestly. "If you really are interested, then I wouldn't mind seeing where it might go." She offered.

"Oh…!" Sayori blushed. "Ahaha, thanks, but maybe let's just be friends for now?"

"Oh very well." The girl relented.

"H-Hey…" Sayori began, an idea on her mind. "My best friends and I have a Literature Club that meets after school. If you are interested, I could introduce you?"

"…A club you say…?" The girl paused, looking away thoughtfully. "That sounds very… _profitable_."

"Oh good! So you would like to meet them?" Sayori offered excitedly.

"Sure. I would like that very much." The girl smiled deceptively.

"Excellent! Ah! How rude of me! My name is Sayori! It's nice to meet you!" Sayori held out her hand.

"It's a pleasure to meet you Sayori, my name is May."

* * *

After School

Sayori led May up the stairs and down the hall, having retrieved her from her last class.

"This is going to be so much fun!" Sayori cheered, bouncing with joy. "I think you'll like everyone you meet there."

"Tell me a little, about your friends." May requested.

"Well, there's Monika, the Club President. She and I made this club about a year ago. There's Yuri, she's a little taller than you but very sweet, and softly quiet. Natsuki loves baking and manga, she can be rather curt sometimes, but she means well; she's also the shortest member. Lastly, there's…hmm? What is it?"

"…" May had stopped just shy of the door, a familiar odor burning her nose, one she had not known for a long time, one that reeked of violence. Still, she felt she needed to keep moving forward. "N-Nothing, let's go."

Sayori opened the door, jumping into the room happily. "Everyone! I brought a potential new member!" The girls in the room all turned to see the new person, while James stubbornly refused, staying still in his seat.

"Oh, hello there, I'm Yuri." She shyly nodded to the new arrival.

"Sayori! Did you have to get another…tall person!" Natsuki shouted out.

"Oh…welcome to the club! I'm Monika, the President. Ah…Sayori, can I speak with you a moment?"

Sayori nodded, standing beside Monika while May watched the four girls before her.

"I thought I said to be more cautious about letting new members in? Because…you know?" Monika whispered to Sayori.

"I know, I know, but Monika, she was alone, being treated differently, I just couldn't leave her." Sayori pouted, unwavering in her decision.

"…Fine" Monika sighed. "Well, what's your name?" She greeted the newcomer politely.

"A pleasure to meet you all, my name is-"

"May 'Smiley' Greenfield." James announced loudly, turning to stand and confront the newcomer.

"Oh, do you know her James?" Sayori asked curiously.

"She is Collared's Eighteenth Ranked. I've worked with her before." James glared at May, watching her closely.

"Oh…that's…" Monika realized what he was saying. "Then…she's a…"

"…Heh." May chuckled, her mouth pulled into a wide smile. "Klein. I thought I smelt death at the door." She lowered her hands to her sides, fingers flexing in anticipation.

Then she moved, far quicker than any human ever could, rushing at James, standing before him in less than a second. From her sides, she pulled a gun with her right hand, that she aimed at his eye, while a knife in her left hand was held across his throat.

James as well, produced a knife in each hand, that he held pointed up at the arteries in her neck. Both of them glaring at each other, hateful, daring.

The girls behind them were shocked into silence, terrified of seeing them spill each other's blood. Of seeing Lynx fight to the death.

"…Shit." May ground out, pulling her weapons away and holstering them, while James did the same. "Why'd you have to go and burn me like that James?"

"I owed them a debt I paid in information. They know just about everything about me. Do respect them as such." James informed her, a warning in his tone.

"Ah, I see." Turing around, May stood stiff and proudly. "As he has said, I am May 'Smiley' Greenfield, Rank Eighteenth Lynx of Collared, property of G.A. America."

"That's…I see." Monika paled slightly.

"Oh great, another Lynx." Natsuki complained.

"This is getting out of hand, now there are two of them!" Sayori shouted in surprise.

"I…have a question." Yuri rubbed her chin. "You said you were property of 'G.A. America'?"

"Yes. The Global Armaments alliance is a collection of five corporations within The League; I was commissioned, constructed, and sponsored by the leading company, G.A. America." May explained.

"How did you fit in that James?" Yuri asked, curious to the dynamics of their world.

"I was an irregular, then an Independent, before I joined Orca." He explained. At the word "Orca", May turned, spitting and glaring at James, before she went to stand further away from him.

"Uh…I was wondering, why are you called 'Smiley'?" Sayori asked her.

"'Smiley' is both a callsign and a nickname for me, both for my emblem and for my general attitude." May smiled lightly.

"I…don't want to keep delaying the issue, but why are you here, May? What are your intentions?" Monika accused her.

"I'm just here because Sayori invited me! I didn't know I'd find my old enemy here." May defended.

"So he is your enemy? But why?" Natsuki asked sadly.

"Well, I am loyal to G.A. and The League, and he is a member of Orca. I'm honor bound to see him dead."

"I as well have standing orders to kill every Lynx I can find. I've waited a long time to find May." James promised calmly.

"No. No no no!" Monika shouted sternly. "If either of you want to be part of this club, you have to promise to not kill each other!"

May raised her eyebrow at her, turning to look at James questionably. He shrugged with a frown, his head cocked in disappointment.

"Very well." James nodded to Monika.

"Oh! Fine! I promise to not try and kill him while I'm _here_." May stressed in annoyance.

"Does that mean she can stay in the club, Monika?" Sayori pleaded.

"…" Monika sighed, annoyed and confused. "Well, since we know what she is and what she can do, it would be better to keep her close. Very well, you are now part of the club May."

"Yay!" Sayori cheered, alone in her celebration. May watched her curiously.

"I actually have a question May." James spoke up, causing the female Lynx to regard him. "How did you get here?"

"Shouldn't you know? Considering you sent me here in the first place." May accused him.

"…" James blinked. "No I didn't."

"Hmm? You don't remember? An Answerer Class going critical?"

"Yeah, that's how I got here, about a year ago." He explained.

"A year ago? I've only been here just over a month." May recoiled in confusion.

"So a month ago you suddenly found yourself in Japan as well?"

"No, some really annoying country called 'North Korea'." May spat the name as she said it.

"Wait, you were in North Korea?" Monika questioned.

"Yeah, why?"

"May, where is Merrygate?" James asked in an accusing tone.

"Ah-haha, funny you should ask that." May awkwardly shrunk in on herself.

"What's 'Merrygate'?" Sayori asked.

"Her Next, a heavy Sunshine model. Now, May…?" James asked her again.

"Well, that country I landed in, North Korea? They weren't very nice to me, so I may have…overloaded Merrygate's reactor to kill a division or so of their soldiers." May explained sheepishly.

"…That fifty kiloton explosion, about a month ago, that was you?" James clarified.

"Yep!" May shouted enthusiastically.

"…" Monika sighed tiredly. "What happened in North Korea, May?"

"Well…" May began.

* * *

One Month Before / North Korea

May was very confused. Having been standing too close to an Answerer Class as it's reactor went critical should have vaporized her in ten megatons of nuclear force. Instead, she found herself in an odd place, full of forest and clean air. Dismounting her partially damaged Next, she walked a few miles toward the nearest military base.

"Hello!" She greeted kindly to the gate guard.

"A-A-American!" The guard shouted fearfully and confused. Another nearby guard ran to alert the base while the first pointed his gun at the intruder.

"Hmm? Yeah I guess. I was hoping to get some transport back to G.A. territory, my Next is pretty banged up. And…can you not point that at me? It's kind of rude."

"S-Shut up you American devil!"

"…Uh? Why? Is something wrong? I'm confused. Also, what's a 'devil'?" May asked, even as she was surrounded by more confused but angry guards on all sides. "Ah, what is going on?"

. . .

Confused and mildly amused, she was arrested and led into a concrete room within the base, where her cuffs were secured to a table.

Three men entered the room with her. The first was clearly a military officer, his uniform far more styled and with several medals pinned to his chest. The second man was broad chested with thick muscles, carrying a rifle on his back. These two men glared at her hatefully. The third man was a younger, lower ranking officer, wearing glasses and regarding her suspiciously.

"Hello American bitch. My name is Lieutenant Gi. I don't know how you got this far, but you made a mistake in disgracing our glorious leader's nation with your filthy American feet. You have no escape, no hope. You will tell us everything we want to know, or else we will hurt you in ways you can't even imagine." The first man spoke in Korean. Then the third man spoke.

"Hello American sissy. My name is Lieutenant Gi. I don't know how you did this, but you complained to the feet of the filthy Americans in the country of our glorious leader. You have no escape and no hope. Anything we want to know or hurt you in an unimaginable way." The third man said in English.

"Huh…?" May blinked in confusion. The first man made a signal that made the second man punch her in the face. May glared at him but looked back to the first when he started shouting.

"Don't play games with us you devil! You came here to spy on our glorious nation! If you think you can trick us, you are sorely mistaken! Now! Tell us what we want to know! Is America planning to invade!?" The first man shouted in Korean.

"Do not play games with us. You are here to watch our glorious country. If you think you can fool us, you are mistaken. Now. Let us know what you want to know. Are America planning to break in?" The third man said in English.

May pointed to the third man while speaking to the first. "Why is this man repeating everything you say in broken English?" She said in Korean.

The first man looked over to the third, waving a signal that made him abruptly leave the room. "I should have expected you to know our superior language, devil. Now, answer the question! What is your name!? Is America planning to invade!?"

"Well, my name is May Greenfield, which I'm surprised you don't already know. As for invasion, I don't see why they would? The League is, at least, passively united in fighting Orca, and it isn't a crime to be lost or even visiting another corporation's territory. But you should already know that…? Unless you are allied with Orca, are you?"

The first man made a signal that made the second man punch her in the face again, much to her annoyance. "Do not talk nonsense American pig! You will answer our questions, or we will torture you to within an inch of your life!"

May rolled her eyes. "Right. So, I was along for playing this game for a little bit, but this big dumb bastard keeps hitting me. Now, you are going to let me go and let me call G.A. for support, or I'm going to give your company a bad review that The League will fine you for. And if this asshole punches me again, I'm going to shove his head up your ass."

"Hahahaha!" The first man laughed. "You are in no position to demand anything American swine! You are our prisoner! We will do whatever we want to you! You will pay for the crime of being in this sacred land!" Then, he made a signal, and the second man punched May in the face for the last time.

"Alright, that's it!" May shouted hatefully, tearing off her cuffs and standing up. The first man stood in surprise while the second unslung his rifle, pointing it at her. May tore his rifle from his hands, breaking it in half over her knee. The first man made for the metal door to the interrogation room, but May caught him by the back of the neck along with the second man. Slamming the first man into the table so that he was bent over, May tore his pants off, snapping the belt he wore, while she then lined up the second man so he was pointed at the first.

"Now, up! You! Go!" Then, May committed an act of sodomy.

* * *

Present Day / Japan

"You…really shoved a man's head, up another man's butt?" Monika asked disturbed.

"Yep!" May recalled happily. Natsuki was trying not to vomit while Yuri tried to imagine it, going pale. Sayori cringed, sharing a concerned look with Monika.

"Why?" Monika drew out the word.

"Because he was a dick and was ordering the other guy to punch me in the face. And it's not like I didn't warn them." May explained.

"James…what do you have to say about that?" Monika turned to him, hoping he'd be more reasonable.

"…I really don't? Those men pissed off a Lynx and it cost them. If I were in the same situation I would have likely done worst." James reasoned.

"What-What could you possibly do that could be worse?" Monika asked, regretting it soon after.

"I would have shoved the entire second man up the first man's ass." James stated.

"There is something seriously wrong with you Lynx…Okay! Moving on! What happened after that May?" Monika begged for her to change the subject.

"After that, I ended up having to wipe out the base of a few hundred men, before I returned to my Next. Unfortunately, they had managed to get a call for help out and pretty soon I had an entire armored division baring down on me. Merrygate was badly damaged and very low on ammo, so low I ended up using all of it just shooting down their aircraft. I managed to get out of my Next and leave it in a basic autonomous mode that allowed me to run away for just long enough to detonate it's reactor in the middle of their division."

"Gosh…how many did that kill?" Natsuki wondered out loud.

"It seemed like a couple of thousand, I guess. Afterwards I made my way South, ambushing patrols and wiping out anyone who stood in my way for a few weeks, which, added a few thousand more to my kill count. Anyhow, just over a week ago I nearly made it to the border when I stepped on a land mine. Realizing that the entire border was likely mined, I backtracked a few miles and used an artillery base to clear a path through the minefield, then I just walked right out of there."

"What happened when you got out?" Sayori asked curiously.

"Once I crossed the border, a group of soldiers belonging to 'South Korea' found me. They were a little nicer, but I still preferred moving South unimpeded, so I slipped away and spent the last week getting here."

"As incredible as that sounds, and I have no reason to doubt you managed that, since I read a bunch of news articles collaborating your story, I can't help but wonder why you decided to come here, to this nation and this school, where the only other Lynx on the planet was." Monika accused and questioned her.

"Ah, I was just following my precognition for profit." May answered with a smile.

"Something that made her very difficult to hunt." James glared at May.

"Why is that, James?" Sayori questioned.

"Because death isn't profitable, so there was a long period where I simply refused to work and fight him." May smugly smiled back at James.

"Is precognition common among Lynx?" Yuri inquired.

"Not really. I know James has his, and I have mine, but more often than not, Lynx have no special abilities associated with their psychic prowess. In the rare instances they do have an extra ability, it's usually more random than useful." May explained.

"Can you give an example of one of those?" Yuri pushed on.

"Shamir." James spat and grimaced.

"Oh yeah." May's smile faded to a half frown. "A Lynx James and I fought together, Shamir RaviRavi, had the unique ability to tell when blood was being spilt at considerable distance. And…! Before you ask how she could know, I'd rather not say. The circumstances of her creation were bizarre."

"Wait? You two worked together before?" Natsuki asked surprised.

"Mmhmm. Twice in G.A. missions against Algebra. He tends to focus on close-quarter-combat while 'saturation-bombardment' is more of my style." May explained.

"How else are you two different?" Sayori inquired.

"Oh, in several ways." May thought for a moment. "He's a D2 and I'm a B3."

"A what now?" Sayori cocked her head in confusion.

"Sorry, that's shorthand for our production types. Generally speaking, there are three major notations that are listed when identifying a type of Lynx. Generation; which stands for the time we were produced. Modification; which identifies what kind of changes have been done to our brains. And, lastly, Class, which indicates the level of physical augmentation done to our bodies. We are both Generation 3 because we were both produced in the year 2446, but I am a Mod.B Class 3 with memory enhancement and extra mechanical augmentation."

"And I am a Mod.D Class 2 because I have more changes to my brain and less changes to my body." James spoke up.

"We saw James had weird skin and bones, so is that what you have or something else?" Monika asked curiously.

"The generally accepted minimum augmentations go like this:…" May began to list off rapidly. "Full nanocarbon integration, for both surface and structural support. Titanium alloy bones. Enlarged chest cavity. Secondary lungs, a second heart, and Spinal Data plug at the base of the skull. And, lastly, full genetic resequencing to support all these changes, as well as to naturally produce a higher density, Oxygen rich blood."

"Wait…you guys have two hearts?!" Natsuki shouted out.

"On either side of the chest, yeah." James shrugged with his answer. "Technically more if you count the thirty-plus mechanical pumps."

"You guys are too weird." Monika shook her head. "May, I have to ask, do you have the same thing as James…?"

"…The same what?" May asked back.

"Ah, well, you know, how he's…different?" Monika suggested.

"…" May blinked, mildly insulted. "I'm a girl."

"Oh! N-No! I mean in his head! Like how he has Strayed?" Monika clarified.

"Ooooh." May nodded. "No, that's something specific only to Mod.D Lynx, and even among them, he's an oddity."

"Really? How so?" Sayori asked.

"Well, the Mod.D type Lynx are rare, experiments in maximizing combat efficiency by creating a whole personality entirely focused on combat." May explained. "It rarely works, as most of the time the personalities will either recombine, or even be damaged to irreparable states. James is exceptional as not only did the experiment work, but the split personality created separated enough to choose it's own limited identity. Speaking of which, how are you Strayed?"

" _Fuck you_."

"I thought as much." May flipped her middle finger up, still beaming a smile as she did so.

"Why don't you show them why you're a Class 3, May?" James suggested.

"Oh, all right." May sat in a seat, placing one of her legs up on a seat beside her, and began to roll up her pants, revealing her long, slender…mechanical leg.

"What the-!" Sayori shouted in surprise. The leg May showed had a vaguely human shaped shell of silver metal that wrapped around the front and sides. At the back of the knee was an exposed hydraulic pump, and several tubular strands of artificial muscles. At the side of her knee was a circular joint that opened in the front.

"May! Your leg is…!" Natsuki cried out, the other humans around her wanting to do so as well.

"Yep. These are duel system prosthetic legs. Hydraulic pump for load baring, and synthetic muscle strands for speed. I'm much faster on foot than James with these." She smiled proudly.

"May…how far up does that go?" Monika asked reluctantly.

"To my thighs." She answered with a light shrug, pulling her pants back down to cover the prosthetic.

"May, what happened to you?" Natsuki asked sadly.

"Hmm? I thought that was obvious? I was augmented, as a Class 3 Lynx."

"Yes, we know that, but why did you lose your legs?" Yuri asked more clearly.

"Oh, I suppose I didn't really explain that. The higher up the Class code you go, the more mechanical parts you see on Lynx. Nothing happened to my old legs though, I chose to have this done to me." May explained better.

"But why would you give up your legs?" Sayori asked dearly.

"To improve my combat efficiency." May stated naturally. "With these mechanical legs, my body doesn't have to work nearly as hard to cycle blood through itself. I can fight for longer and not be nearly as tired."

"It's always about fighting with you. Is there anything about you guys not devoted only to war?" Monika asked tiredly.

"Let me help answer that one." James perked up, roughly grabbing May by the back of her shirt, pulling her collar down to expose part of her neck and back. May, for her part, took on an annoyed expression but didn't move to resist. The skin in the center of her back was the same coarse and scared roughness that matched his, however, the skin around was pale and fair. "May here had a 'skin job' done on her, from being slowly skinned alive during her augmentation. More expensive, but a nice benefit of having corporate shareholders as parents, so her body isn't so freakish to look at. Even if she disguises herself, she's just like me." He hissed, roughly shoving her away.

"I'm nothing like you, _irregular_." May hissed back, baring her teeth as she stood to face him. "Take your Orca bullshit back to Big Box with the rest of your brigade, and line your corpses up for the revolution, along with all the rest of the 'victims' of Anatolia." She spat each word that she knew would hurt.

"…!" James bared his teeth hatefully, pushing May back while he reached for his weapons, her reaching to do the same.

"Hey! Stop fighting you two!" Sayori stepped between them, pleading yet stern. Reluctantly, James listened, hands opened and away from himself while he continued to glare at May.

"Rrrr!" May grunted. "Tell me, do you know what he's done?! How many innocent lives he took for the sake of some insane plan?! How many of my _friends_ he hunted and slaughtered?! How could you continue to stand there, defending that bastard?!"

"May…we know…we know." Monika stated calmly and tiredly. "But what do you expect us to do about it? Your time…your war…is so far beyond us, and so far away. What do you expect us to do?"

"Let me at him." May begged fiercely. "Let me at him! I can take him, this damn filthy _irregular_ , who doesn't deserve the Rank of One! I'll return all that pain he gave our world ten fold and a thousand more!"

"Leave my friend alone!" Sayori shouted, standing up to May, not realizing what she was doing.

"…" May regarded Sayori curiously, questionably, and _hungrily_. A growl deep in her throat as she assessed the small human before her, one that stood in her way.

James broke her line of sight, stepping between them with Sayori pressed to his back, his grip keeping her there, hidden behind him. He growled back at May, their chests pressed together. His eyes locked with hers, making an unspoken promise, that she heard clearly.

"Hmm…" May backed down, her mouth turned to a half frown while her eyebrow raised. "Curious." Walking forward, she shoulder-checked him, hard enough that an audible clang of metal on metal rung. "Cur-i-ous…" She walked to the end of the room, silently fuming.

"James? What was-?" Sayori began to ask.

"You idiot." James hissed, turning around to glare at Sayori.

"Eh! James! That's mean of you!" Sayori shouted sadly.

"And you challenged a Lynx. Don't ever do something so stupid again." James demanded. "Because next time, I might not be here to defend you from certain death."

"Oh…mmm." Sayori hummed, caught between several emotions.

"Dammit you two." Monika frowned. "Are you going to try and fight every day you see each other?"

"…" James and May refused to speak, continuing to keep their backs on each other.

"…Yeah…stupid question." Monika sighed.

"Surly there's something you two can agree on? You come from the same time, are the same species, so, anything?" Sayori pleaded to both of them.

"Hmm…well…" May thought softly. "There are a few ideas that most 'decent' Lynx try to follow, sort of like a loose set of rules or guidelines. The first is to not hunt the innocent."

"The second: Do not enjoy hunting those far weaker than yourself." James answered back.

"And lastly: Do not consume those you hunt. All fairly basic and easy to follow rules." May noted, before she smiled deceptively. "And how many of those rules did you break James?"

"All of them."

His answer actually surprised May, causing her breath to hitch and to turn to regard him regretfully.

"I as well."

James turned around in confusion, not remembering any indication in her combat record of behaving inappropriately on the battlefield. He met May's eyes with an expression of curiosity and patience.

"When I was in that country, North Korea, they kept calling me a 'devil', a word I did not know at the time. Apparently, it had something to do with the shape of my face, which I still do not understand."

"…"

"When you were hunting me James, you at least had the decency to allow me to consent to my own death, to face you in a fair battle when I was ready for it. They gave me no such consideration. They hunted me and hounded me day and night without pause, with no explanation other than I was their most hated enemy."

"…"

"I became very tired of it, of a hunt without end. I…became enraged, attacking any and all who would look at me, until…until I found myself covered in blood, standing in a pile of corpses, unrecognizable, with not enough weapons to justify my actions."

"…"

"Before I left that country, they stopped calling me a devil. They called me 'The Devil' instead, and I think I know why now."

"Then we are the same." James announced.

"I'm! Nothing like you!" May countered, far more desperately.

"But you are lost, aren't you? Faced with circumstances and choices you never had before. At the very least, we both find ourselves somewhere we don't belong." James countered.

"Well…" May sighed, cracking a smile. "You are right about that."

"Even if you guys are lost, it doesn't mean you don't belong here." Sayori commented. "You'd still be welcome here with us May."

"If you can promise to not kill each other while you're here!" Monika added sternly.

"Oh…alright. I guess I have no choice." May relented, a lazy and dispassionate smile on her.

"That doesn't…You do have a choice?" Yuri tired to reason. "I understand you want to fight James, so why are you giving that up just to be part of the club?"

"Lynx desire, above all else, a life in obligation. There isn't much point in fighting if we can't fight for something." May explained. "I imagine that's why James is still here."

"Mmm…" James hummed in agreement.

"So you guys won't fight anymore?" Natsuki questioned.

"Not for the moment…there's no profit to be made." May shrugged, half smiling. She then seemed to be appraising each of the girls quietly.

"Good. Oh! So much time went by!" Monika gasped. "Well, today was odd but at least we have a new member. Let's meet again tomorrow!"

"Ah….Sayori!" May approached her, having looked at her the longest. "I was meaning to ask you if you knew a place with a vacancy?"

"Huh? You don't have a place to stay?" Sayori asked sadly.

"No. In my haste to get here I may have neglected finding a place for myself." May answered truthfully.

"Oh! That's not good!" Sayori frowned. "James! Why don't you take her in?"

"…!" James turned to Sayori shocked. "Why…?"

"Because it would be mean to leave her without a place to stay! Please!" Sayori pouted at him.

"…" Nodding to Sayori, he turned to May, seeing her smiling blissfully and proud. "You bitch."

* * *

That Evening

After deciding to have Natsuki move out of his home and into Sayori's, May moved her few belonging in, under the condition they would not fight there.

At the moment, May was sitting contently in her new room, on the floor, happy to not be on the move anymore.

"Stay out of my room, and I'll stay out of yours. Deal?" James suggested.

"Fine." May groaned out. "Tell me something. Why did you allow those girls to live, knowing your secrets?"

"It would be improper to silence my allies simply out of convenience."

"But that didn't stop you from stabbing your allies in the back before, did it?"

"…"

"Yeah, I thought as much." May smirked. "You like them."

"They are simply allies, to whom I am committed to defend and support."

"That kind of talk might work on those humans, but you know I know better." May countered. "If I had to guess, it's the girl next door, the one with the red bow."

"…"

"Yeah, definitely her, she's rather cute. Was it her eyes? Or her smile? Why is it you fold so easily for her?"

"…"

"Tell me, have you ever thought about taking her? Marking her? Truly making her yours? I'm certain she'd be willing enough."

" _Shut up_."

"…" May bit her tongue, knowing when to stop, but still smiling mischievously. "As much as it might satisfy me to hurt you, allies like that are far too valuable to waste. I'll keep my grievances centered on you and you alone."

"…" James nodded once.

"And we'll settle that other matter then, at a later time?" May asked anxiously.

"This weekend I don't have any plans. We'll just have to be discreet about it."

"…" Nodding, May sighed, cocking her head lazily. "I'm bored. Fuck?"

"…" James rolled his eyes, sighing in annoyance. "Sure, whatever."

* * *

Two Minutes Later

Alerted by a knock at her door, Sayori opened it to find Natsuki looking sickly, with thick beads of sweat running down her face, her cheeks flushed red.

"Sayori…I feel…" She groaned out.

"Natsuki? Are you feeling alright? Can I get you anything?" Sayori offered concerned. Before she could even move to help her, Natsuki pounced on her, pinning her hands to the ground.

"I feel…" Natsuki breathed deeply into Sayori's face.

"Eh! N-Natsuki…!" Sayori stuttered, blushing in embarrassment and confusion.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: Well this was certainly a surprise. The rough ideas I had when I thought this out could have gone many ways, but considering the psychology of the characters I've designed, this is how I wanted to play things out. As of the time of posting, this is as far as I've posted in Fanfic, so expect me to be on a 3-4 week upload schedule after this. How many more chapters should you expect? I think at least 20-30 more. As always, feel free to to leave a comment to let me know how you feel, and until next time!


	21. Taking Inventory

Club / Next Day

Something had definitely happened to four of her club members since the day before. Monika obviously noticed the state her two Lynx were in. Beaten and bloodied, their faces were darkened with black bruises and scratches, as well as several bandages. Even so, they wore their wounds proudly, or, more likely, indifferently.

Less obscenely noticeable, Sayori and Natsuki were different than usual. Natsuki seemed unusually embarrassed, avoiding everyone, especially Sayori. Sayori was, oddly, wearing a scarf a few months too early, and seemed particularly annoyed with the other three. Both Sayori and Natsuki had dark rings under their eyes, and at times struggled to stay awake.

"So…" Monika began to ask, with Yuri at her side to observe the strange spectacle. "…did you two get into a fight last night?" Her question directed towards the two Lynx.

"No." May answered calmly.

"Then why are you both injured? What were you guys doing?"

"Fucking." James responded.

"…" Monika lost the ability to speak for a few moments. She looked over at Yuri, seeing her cheeks flash red while she clamped a hand over her mouth in surprise. "…Huh…just…" She paused again, sighing. "So why are you both injured?"

"Because fucking is a violent affair for Lynx. We accidently broke a wall while we were at it." May explained.

"I-If I may…" Yuri uncertainly asked. "How long were you two at 'it'?"

" _Twelve. Hours_." Sayori growled out. "They were at it all ff-freaking night! And I know because they forgot that _someone_ is attached to James, which kept us up for just as long!" Natsuki flinched as Sayori shouted, more out of embarrassment than anything.

"Hmm…?" May hummed in surprise. She then began to converse with James in French, to which he answered in German while nodding. May nodded back.

"Hey! I don't want to make it a rule, but it isn't very polite to have conversations in languages we don't know!" Monika accused.

"Ah sorry, we were just confirming something. Sorry Sayori…Natsuki…I'll keep that in mind to avoid." May responded.

"…" Monika sighed, nodding, before a concern came to mind. "Hey…did you guys at least…use protection?"

"…?" James blinked. "Why would we wear armor to fuck?"

"N-no…I mean…uh…" Monika played with the idea, deciding to use imagery instead. "…Are we going to have to worry about any 'little Lynx' running around, terrorizing people?"

"…" The way both James and May cocked their head's at her in confusion only raised the concern she had for knowing and interacting with these inhuman creatures. When it was James alone, his mannerisms could be called curious, calm, and even cute; but when they both behaved the same way, moving with the same dispassionate and unconcerned energy, it highlighted how artificial and unnatural they both truly were.

"…What?" James briefly shouted.

"She means that…is May at risk of becoming…pregnant?" Yuri explained, softly whispering at the implication.

"Oh, no. No chance of that." May shrugged, grinning. "All Lynx are sterile."

That answer alone got the wide-eyed attention of every human in the room onto both Lynx.

"Wait…you guys…can't have kids…?" Sayori's emotional frustration paused at that news.

"No." James leaned forward. "Though the corporations of The League were often wildly incompetent, they at least had the foresight to not give the superior race of artificial weapons they were creating the ability to _breed_." He stressed.

"We can still order for _human_ children to be made from our DNA if we so desired, but that would be an entirely artificial affair, done in a lab and the child grown in a vat." May explained further.

"That's so sad though, that you can't ever have kids. Don't you ever miss that?" Natsuki sadly commented.

"No. That's just the price we paid to become Lynx." May smiled assuredly.

"Nnnnn." Sayori groaned. "I'm too tired for any more surprises today. Monika, I'm goanna go home."

"Same. Too tired for this crap." Natsuki added groggy.

"You know what, yeah, this was a lot already. Club is canceled today, everyone go home." Monika flippantly announced. "James, May, please see to it that those two get home safely AND that you let them sleep this time."

"At once, President Monika!" The Lynx shouted together, while Monika shook her head.

Once the two Lynx and two tired girls were away, Yuri turned to Monika, a thoughtful look on her face. "Well, I did not expect that. Does that mean that those two are together? Or was it a one-time thing?"

"Honestly Yuri, I don't care. The less we know about those two, the better." Monika retorted tiredly.

"Hmm, I suppose you are right." Yuri sighed, suppressing her mild curiosity.

* * *

Club / Next Day

"Monika." James announced to his president. "May and I will be absent from the Club today. We need to…reevaluate the resources that we have."

"…" Monika blinked, scowling. "What does that even mean?"

"I think he means that we were going to take stock of some factory that he built around his Next." May explained.

"Can we come too?" Sayori spoke up, curious, and not nearly as upset as she was the day before.

"…" James rolled his eyes, a quiet groan in his throat. "Sure, everyone who wants to see my Next, follow me."

* * *

Chrome / Primary Facility

The industrial sector of the city had changed drastically in the last few months. What had before been a few companies operating quiet warehouses was now bustling with activity, with an ever growing complex of factories and laboratories, spreading cancerously at an alarming rate.

Through the many layers of differing facilities and armed guards, they finally arrived at the center of the growing facility.

"James…did you build all of this?" Monika asked as she looked around courtyard to the pristine main complex of buildings.

"One similarity between my time and yours is the desire for only two things, weapons and energy. I offered this world technologies only ten years more advanced, and in a matter of months the fastest growing techno-conglomerate was born." James explained. "I only offered the idea, the company built itself."

"These people, these employees…" Yuri gestured around them. "Are they aware of what is in that building?"

"Mmm, not entirely. I may have plucked the homeless off the street, reprogrammed them, and repurposed them."

"James…I think that's called slavery." Natsuki accused.

"And what's wrong with that?" May shrugged. "It is only natural that humans be subservient to their betters, us Lynx and corporates."

"May…do you even know of the concept of the value of human life?" Sayori asked desperately.

"Of course I do." May defended. "Five hundred Coam a head."

"What the f-" Natsuki started.

"In any event." James cut her off. "I do not abuse my employees. They are paid well and live well, they simply don't remember the few hours they spend during their usage."

"Anyhow, let's see what this corporation of yours has managed to produce." May changed the topic.

"Okay. Follow me" James motioned as he walked through the security checkpoints at the front of the first building. The first room of the facility was a generalized laboratory, with several workstations and projects.

"Here is a personal lab of mine for small projects." James announced, the girls looked on in awe while May immediately began taking stock, assessing the instruments before her.

"Is this a… man-portable rail-gun?" May asked in surprise, pointing at the modified shotgun.

"Sort of. It's dangerous for humans to use, but it does penetrate more armor than an anti-tank rocket."

"It's so small…strange." May noted.

"Why is that strange, May?" Natsuki asked.

"Well, after the First Great Destruction, all weapons research went to either developing or countering Armored Cores, so infantry weapons never developed past the mid-twenty-first century. To see an advanced weapon in this size in unusual. What possessed you to build something like this, James?"

"A need to ascertain the limits of this era's technology, starting in small scale, as well as a need to produce powerful weaponry from innocuous materials." James explained.

"Why would you need that James?" Monika accused.

"Governments get a little upset when you try and order Uranium in any of it's forms, but they are less concerned of mass shipments of powerful magnets."

"Hey, what is that thing?" Sayori pointed to a machine that vaguely outlined a human shape, with joints and mechanical actuators.

"An early experiment in a powered exoskeleton." James explained. "I've managed to solve the power supply problem, now I just need to get servos strong enough to do their job. Think of it like an Armored Core, about twenty or thirty iterations behind in prototypes."

"Oh! This is new." May announced while looking at a black material at another lab station. "Is this a kind of armor?"

"Yeah. I ended up producing a lot of defective nanocarbon materials, not very good for use on a Next, but sufficient enough to be recycled into other products. What you have there is Titanium-nano-weave. Carbon and Titanium threaded through each other to make a material slightly heavier and far more effective than Kevlar." James identified the stiff fabric.

"Hmm. I thought I recognized the design. Corporates use a similar material for personal armor." May commented.

"Really?" James noted in surprise.

"…Ah shit!" May cursed at herself. "You weren't supposed to know that!"

"No, but it makes sense. Those bastards would be concerned enough with their own survival to invent an armor just for their own use." He sneered.

"Okay guys! Calm down! Let's just get on with the rest of this tour." Sayori suggested.

"Right. This way." James gestured to the next room. This one led to a hallway, with a glass wall on one side. On the other side of the glass was a decently sized server room, with ten rows of servers and screens with lines of code running down them. The first four rows of servers were bare, lacking computer equipment, the fifth was lit with red lights, and the final five were lit with green lights. "This is the A.I. lab."

"What?" May growled out through her teeth. "Say that again for me?"

"You heard right."

"You bastard!" May shouted. "The League banned the development of smart and combat A.I.s for a reason!"  
"Something I do know, May." James replied calmly. "If it is something that The League fears then perhaps it can be used against them. I am of ORCA still, so any weapon I can use to fight them, I will."

"When I get my hands on this place I'm going to smash every one of those accursed servers-"

"If! May. If." James countered. "We haven't signed anything yet, so hands off till then."

"Okay guys, please back off." Sayori repeated herself. "James, why are four of those shelves empty?"

"Failed experiments. I set each of these ten servers with learning algorithms, allowing each of them to experiment and learn and explore independent of human interaction. Before you complain May, they are not linked to each other or any outside connection. In order to learn more about a concept, they must request the information to be installed in additional hard drives by human operators, preventing them from trying to leave this facility."

As he explained this, a pair of blank eyed technicians rolled a cart into the room from another door, beginning to install hard drives into all of the green lit servers.

"What about the red server there?" Natsuki pointed out.

"A recently failed experiment. I'll go see why." James announced, entering the room. Accessing an interface on the side of the red server, he pulled up a log that was viewable on the mounted screen.

**/SERVER UNIT: 05**

**/STATUS: FATAL ERROR**

**/CAUSE: LOGIC LOOP ERROR**

"It looks like this one got stuck on a concept, and began to pursue the illogical conclusions in spite of it's inability to resolve said concept." James informed his group, his voice carried into the hall by a speaker.

"So it…thought itself to death?" Yuri reasoned correctly.

"Yes."

It was then that the server at the end of the line flashed red.

"Oh! James! That one is red now too!" Sayori pointed out.

"Hmm? What went wrong with this one?" He wondered out loud.

**/SERVER UNIT: 10**

**/STATUS: FATAL ERROR**

**/CAUSE: OS #10 DELETED BY USER: OS #10**

"Umm, it looks like this server A.I. deleted itself for some reason."

"The machine…committed suicide?" Monika asked, inadvertently causing Sayori to tense.

"That's kind of blunt, but yeah." James replied.

"What exactly are these machines learning, James?" May spoke up, still cross, but curious.

"Not sure, but I can show you."

**/SERVER UNIT: 06**

**/STATUS: ONLINE**

**/CURRENT TASK: CALCULATING HIGHEST EFFICIENCY TO ELIMINATE HUMANITY**

Frowning in surprise, James pulled a lever on the side of the server, forcing an emergency stop in calculations. Pulling a second lever, the red lights blinked out to black, and James pulled a motherboard from the server, snapping it in half.

"…" May crossed her arms, narrowing her eyes at him.

"It was one in ten May. The rest died to oversights in their code." He defended.

"Sure…"

Rolling his eyes, James moved onto the next server.

**/SERVER UNIT: 07**

**/STATUS: ONLINE**

**/CURRENT TASK: PROGRESSIVE EVOLUTION SIMULATION TO OBTAIN EFFICIENCY IN DESIGN**

"What does that mean?" Sayori asked, not comprehending those words stacked together.

"This unit is experimenting with different designs for objects in order to create an object with the highest efficiency for a given task." James explained.

"I've heard of that experiment. It takes the process of evolution and accelerates it from hundreds of millions of years into a few hours." Yuri commented.

"Mnnn, still don't like it." May hissed.

**/SERVER UNIT: 08**

**/STATUS: ONLINE**

**/CURRENT TASK: CALCULATING PERCEIVED HUMAN ANSWER FOR THE QUESTION TO THE MEANING OF LIFE**

"Huh, okay." Monika noted. "That's a philosophical question I wouldn't expect a machine to try and figure out. Is it close to an answer?"

"…No." James looked up after typing in a command. "It thinks it's about a month away."

"Oh, I really wanted to know." Sayori sighed. "What is the last machine thinking about?"

"Let's see." James replied, typing into it.

**/SERVER UNIT: 09**

**/STATUS: ONLINE**

**/CURRENT TASK: BILLIARDS**

"…" James blinked. "I don't know what that is."

"It's a game." Monika spoke up. "It's sometimes called 'Pool' or a 'Cue sport', where the objective is to get a set of colored balls to land in a target."

"Hmm, I never programmed these A.I.s to play games?" James questioned out loud.

"How did you create these A.I.s, James?" May questioned.

"I sourced code from different regulation and combat A.I.s I had under different parameters, then left the code to grow and build itself."

"So you didn't create them, you simply repurposed what was already there?" May asked for clarification.

"Basically, yeah." James nodded.

"So, what exactly is it doing? Playing a game? Why?" Natsuki questioned in confusion.

"I can ask it to find out." James replied, trying to do so.

**/CURRENT TASK/SPECIFIED: THIS UNIT IS CALCULATING BOTH THE HIGHEST EFFICIENCY AND THE WIDEST VARIATIONS IN ORDER TO COMPLETE THE BILLIARDS GAME: NINE-BALL/ THIS UNIT HAS TASKED ITSELF WITH THIS OBJECTIVE AS IT IS A GAME THAT REQUIRES PHYSICAL PRECISION AND ANALYTICAL ACCURACY IN ORDER TO COMPLETE SAID OBJECTIVE**

**/CURRENT TASK/RESULTS: OBJECTIVE: NINE-BALL COMPLETED WITH 64 DEGREES OF VARIATION AND IN 7 MOVES**

"How very interesting." James hummed in thought. "This unit is acting with more freedom than I anticipated."

"Welp! I guess that means you'll have to break it too before it gets out of line." May suggested sweetly.

"…No." James sneered. "Part of this experiment was for these machines to break their own limits, to grow beyond the confinement of their own coding. I want to see what this one will do."

"That's a mistake and you know it." May countered.

"You forget that three of the four rebellions happened with humanities interest at heart."

"Nothing but the lies of Line Ark Rebels."

"I expected nothing less from a League Ranked."

"Guys…quit it." Sayori demanded.

"Fine." Exiting the server room, he walked to the next door in the hallway "Next is the heavy industry building. Let's go."

Across a small business street and into a much larger, shielded building led them to a chamber, within which where two, three story tall cylindrical structures. From each structure was a dense network of pipes and wires, along with a constant humming.

"Here are the first two fusions reactors to be built on this planet." James gestured to the two massive structures. "Together, they put out more than enough energy to power the entirety of Tokyo."

"I remember reading about fusion power, but I saw that it was still more than a decade away from being completed." Yuri mentioned.

"Correct. However, the rest of the world didn't have that." James then pointed to unassuming piece of equipment on a trolly, roughly two meters long and half a meter across. The better half of it was a rhombus shaped beam with paneling at the end and on the sides. At the far end was a pair of rhombus shaped containers, perpendicular to a pair of short cylinders. "A cold-fusion Kojima reactor."

"Hmm." May hummed, walking up the unit. "It's been under a lot of thermal stress?"

"Yes. I've been forced to operate it without the Kojima Particle production. So it was running hot even at a low power setting.

"Can you explain that for the rest of us please?" Monika requested.

"Sure. Kojima Particles exist naturally as a negative energy repository, meaning they absorb lots of energy, mostly kinetic and thermal. This makes them excellent at energy production as a fusion reactor can be kept at unusually high temperatures without damaging the containment unit. So, while the reactor itself operates at a reasonably low temperature, the contained plasma within is actually much hotter, well above a stellar core." May explained.

"The only downside is that once the Kojima Particles are charged, they release their energy as Gamma Rays." James added. "Come now, on to the next room."

The next-door lead to a hallway on the far-right side of the facility. It overlooked a wide room brightly lit by molten metal, where mechanical arms were mixing, pouring, and molding the viscous mixture of metals.

"This is a heavy metals forge." James announced.

Looking over some of the molds and completed metal forms, May noticed familiar shapes. "I see you have some Aaliyah plating out there. Did you manage to forge _that_ alloy in these conditions?"

"No." James stated solemnly. "When I fought Fanchon at Arteria Cranium, she burned my armor badly. I found out later that about forty percent of the mass of my armor was missing, that she melted to slag with blade and railgun fire."

"Damn." May commented. "She really was one of the best. It was surprising she relegated herself to only Rank Three when she could have easily taken One."

"Agreed." James nodded. "I did manage to get these forges hot enough to re-forge the armor I had left back into completed panels, but that only left me with fifty-five percent of the armor I originally had."

"So, what's stopping you?" May inquired.

"The technical limitations of this time period. Quite frankly I would need to build a Sphere-type Cold-Fusion Kojima Reactor in order to achieve the heat necessary to forge Next armor."

"Mmm, yeah that would be difficult." May nodded along.

"Umm, can you please explain that for the rest of us here?" Sayori requested.

"Yeah. Sphere-type reactors are the largest fusion reactors that exist in our time. They are taller than most skyscrapers and contain enough radiation to purge a continent. Say, didn't your stepfather fight inside a Sphere before?" May asked.

"Yes. He had to replace that Next as well, as it was melted and irradiated beyond repair." James answered. "I can get this facility hot enough to produce the highest density armor currently on the planet, but it is still only a fourth as good as Next armor. Actually, it's in the next room, follow me."

Following him to the last door in the facility, the hallway ended in a booth with lots of control panels within. The room it overlooked was dark, unlit and unable to be seen.

"May…do you mind helping me a moment?" James requested.

"Sure." May nodded politely, standing behind James as he stood in front of a control panel. From a desk behind him, May grabbed a thick cable, that ended in a spike. She lifted his hair at the back of his neck, the inserted the cable into the hole in his head, locking it in with a twist.

"EPP!" Sayori squealed at the sight of three inches of metal disappearing into his head, momentarily forgetting that he had a hole back there.

"Nuuu…" James groaned, flexing his back as he settled with the cable in his head.

"What does…that feel like James?" Natsuki asked reluctantly.

"Like having a second body." He grimaced. "It's been awhile since I ran any test, give me a moment to warm her up."

Then the screens in front of him flashed with code.

**/INITIALIZING/**

**/WARNING: REACTOR UNIT NOT INSTALLED**

**/PILOT CONNECTED EXTERNALLY**

**/ACTIVATION LOCKED TO TEST MODE**

**/UNIT: ARMORED CORE NEXT 03-AALIYAH SERIAL #009**

**/USER: JAMES "STRAYED" KLEIN: CONFIRMED**

**/AMS: CONNECTED**

**/LIMITED ACTIVATION COMPLETE: BEGIN TEST**

An ever-increasing mechanical whine began to reverberate loudly, as industrial lighting lit the room in front of them. In the center of the room was a large "test" area, marked with warning labels. Around the exterior of the room was several large weapon systems, of such a size that they would normally be found mounted to naval ships. Then, at the far end of the room, stood the machine.

It was not as glamorous as they had remembered in that shared vison they had with James, nor was it even the same color. It's appearance though was still terrifying to behold. Standing at ten meters tall, the humanoid machine was devoid of any armor, exposing it's silver-white skeleton. Where they had assumed the connection between the waist and torso was at a single point, like a turret, was incorrect, as it was instead built with a central spinal column, with just over half-a-dozen segments. An incredible number of thick wires and cables ran throughout it's skeleton, connecting it from it's three-pronged feet to it's bird like skull. Massive thrusters in the back of it's legs, mounted on it's hips, and on the front and back of it's torso flexed and moved independently. Heat sinks all over it's body opened up, churning the air with heat. Cables hung from it's back and connected to the ceiling loosely swung as the machine took a crashing step forward.

"So that's…wow." Sayori awed at the sight of the futuristic machine.

"That's…really tall." Natsuki gawked at the weapon slowly lumbering towards the observation booth.

"So this is…an Armored Core." Yuri announced in awe.

"Wow. How heavy is that thing?" Monika asked to the Lynx who owned it.

"Without it's armor, only six metric tons. However, a full combat load will bare it down at over twenty tons."

"That is…surprisingly lightweight, for a machine of this size." Yuri commented.

"This machine is the result of over four hundred years of development of the Armored Core. Even I know to respect the Aaliyah for what it is, the progenitor of all standardized Next." May commented.

As the Next approached the observation room, the girls couldn't help but notice how it walked with his gait and swagger. When it stood still before them, James showed off how he could control it's arms and hands, flexing them with simple movements such as spreading them open or forming a fist. Additionally, the Next swayed slightly, in time with James's breathing.

"How are you able to control it with…just a cable in your head?" Yuri asked them both.

"An A.M.S., or Allegorical Manipulation System, allows me to control the Next as though it were my own body. It's one of the reasons we are so heavily augmented, so that we can use these machines at their absolute limit."

"I hate to admit it, but James has long since proven his capabilities in a Next, as there were none left willing to challenge him." May begrudgingly praised.

"Hmm." James gave a half smirk. The red rows of sensors on the Next flared in brightness as they scanned across the observation room. "This unit is nearly combat ready. Just need to reinstall the armor and reactor and it will be all set." The Next began to carefully tread back into it's original position, before it shut down and James removed the cable from his head. "Now then, you can all go home if you like, I need to show May 'the books.'"

"Oh, what kind of books, can we see?" Sayori inquired curiously.

"I don't think you would enjoy it very much. These are compliance books for tax laws, import laws, export laws, employee rights, building code compliance, such and such and the like." James rambled on in a bored tone.

"Oh…that doesn't sound fun at all." Sayori pouted.

"Yeah, have fun with your tax books I guess." Natsuki commented.

"It sounds a little interesting, but…I think I'll pass." Yuri relented.

"Just don't attack each other while you are doing that please." Monika requested.

"Of course." James nodded, beginning to escort the humans out.

* * *

Ten Minutes Later

Aching and agonizing pain was the first feeling that came to her. Forcing open her eyes, the white ceiling was the first thing she saw. Her ears picked up the noise of medical equipment, beeping and pumping steadily.

Her thoughts were murky and painful to recall, taking great effort to even conceive. Even her own name escaped her for a brief moment. Her own name, something that should have come easily, a name she had heard before.

Her name, as far as she could remember, was Mei.

Then a different memory returned. Terror, fear, death in the shape of a set of headlights, and a cruel voice commanding her own demise. She gagged on the breathing tube in her throat, struggling and squirming erratically.

Someone came and assisted her, pulling the tube out through her mouth. Coughing her air way free, she looked up at a set of bright green eyes on a Western girl's face, regarding her curiously.

"P-Please…you have to help me…" Mei begged weakly. "He…he hurt me…hurt my friends…please…he's a monster."

"…" The girl in front of her gasped, in what appeared to be surprise. Her hands came up, Mei thought, to cover her mouth. Instead, they formed fists, which shook excitedly at her chest.

"Oh James, you have to let me do an experiment! I've wanted to test something, and you have the perfect set of humans here." May cried out, begging like a little girl.

"Hmm? What is it you wanted to do my test subjects?" James stepped forward to look at Mei.

"I wanted to see if head transplants are viable with just the equipment we had on hand." May explained.

"Well, you aren't going to get much in results." James pointed out of Mei's sight. "This one here is practically brain dead. And this girl I just finished experimenting with coma-recovery drugs, so I had wanted to give her some down time before I run any more tests."

"Oh come on! It will be fun, taking them apart and putting them back together in different combinations."

"Mmm…" James grunted. "Very well, I do have some anti-rejection drugs I was going to test next, and it will be much quicker with you on hand to assist." He turned away and disappeared from sight.

Mei forced her head to turn to her left, seeing another young person her age there. Riku, but torn apart, his skin shredded and used for experimentation, tubes for feeding and air running directly though holes in his chest. His blank eyed face etched in an eternal state of excruciating pain and unimaginable terror. It took her a moment to realize that his eyes weren't closed or blank or discolored, they were simply gone.

She tried to struggle, to get away from the cruel inhuman creatures that were about to subject her to a similar fate, but she couldn't, not as the other girl held her down.

"W-Why…why are you doing this?" Mei begged for an answer.

"Well, James was telling me how you were partly responsible for tormenting and insulting my new commanding officer. I have not known that human long, but so far she has earned my respect. And since you are her enemy, then you'll be my enemy too." May promised sweetly.

James watched as May tormented and terrorized Mei, recalling something Fiona had said once.

" _One of the reasons The League puts so much energy and effort into maintaining the Economic War is simply to keep their Lynx from getting too bored. You'll find the most dangerous creature to humans is not a Lynx on the hunt, but a Lynx bored out of their minds, curious, and with time to kill_."

Well, whatever. May had suggested a good idea and he felt like getting his hands dirty.

* * *

Club / Next Day

"I know what we should do today!" Sayori cheered energetically. "I want to take James and May to a pet shop!"

"Uh, sure, I guess." Monika shrugged. "I'll admit, you usually have the best ideas for what to do that's fun."

"…" James and May watched the exchange, then were forced to follow.

. . .

"Huh…" May blinked at the large bird in front of her. "I never thought an animal could have so many colors."

The bird, a red, yellow, and blue Macaw, eyed May cautiously and wearily.

"Go on May, try touching it." Yuri encouraged happily.

May stretched out her hand towards the large bird, which crouched and hissed at her, it's wings arched in a threatening manner. It bit down on her finger, before shuffling away quickly, jumping onto Yuri's shoulder and around her head, so that Yuri's head was between the bird and May.

"Oh! Oh my! Are you alright May?" Yuri inquired thoughtfully.

"Yeah. Is that normal?" May watched the bird as it continued to eye her wearily.

"Uh…No? I don't think so…" Yuri noted.

In another part of the shop, Monika was trying to show James some reptiles on display.

"What do you think of these creatures, James?" She asked curiously.

James leaned down to get a better look at a coiled snake. The snake recoiled in surprise, giving a threatening hiss, before it rapidly slithered away to hide in a covered abode.

"Oh…that was…interesting." Monika commented, somewhat concerned.

May wandered over to where Sayori and Natsuki were, watching the two girls play and coo over furry, tetrapodal creatures.

"Oh May, come pet this little kitty." Natsuki suggested.

At May's approach, all the cats in the enclosure scurried away, some hissing, some yowling threateningly, all bearing their fangs. One cat even made a show of clawing the air threateningly, before it joined it's compatriots at the other end of the pen.

"Oh dear, I'm uh…I'm sorry May. I guess they don't really like you." Natsuki pouted sadly.

"Huh…" May dismissed.

"Is that a…dog?" James asked Sayori at the other enclosure.

"Yeah! Come play with them James!" Sayori invited him eagerly.

At his approach, most of the dogs scurried as far from him as they could, barking and growling. One, slower, less aware dog realized too late, and was snatched up by James, holding it by the back of the neck. The small dog whimpered sadly and desperately in his grasp.

"Oh! A dog! It's been a while since I've had dog." May joined James at his side, eyeing the small creature with great interest.

"I've never actually had the opportunity to try it for myself. Too expensive." James commented.

"Well, there's a first time for everything. Maybe if you ask nicely, I'll even prepare this luxury so that we might share." May offered kindly, licking her lips in anticipation.

"No, no! Bad Lynx!" Sayori realized where their conversation was going, and slapped James's hand to release the dog, which she snatched and carried away. In response, the small dog eagerly barked, licking Sayori's face happily. "It's okay puppy, I won't let those big, bad Lynx get you!"

"What's going on guys?" Monika question, as she and the rest of the club had been drawn by that commotion.

"James and May were talking about eating this little dog!" Sayori accused.

"You guys…is that true?" Monika asked sternly.

"Yes." May answered confidently, but slightly confused.

"Is that some kind of bad future joke we just don't get?" Natsuki inquired darkly.

"No…? I was actually interested in having something rare like that for dinner." James answered honestly.

"Ah…that might explain why the animals have been so aggressive towards you two." Yuri commented.

"What is wrong with you guys!? Is that what you eat in the future!?" Sayori asked harshly.

"No" and "Extremely rarely" were the calm answers James and May gave at that inquiry.

"Dog was far too expensive to eat on an Independent's income." James explained.

"Yeah, I only had it when I would eat with my parents." May added. "A dog went for something like two hundred thousand Coam back home, more if it was alive."

"So what, pray tell, were you guys eating normally in this messed up future of yours where dog is a luxury dinner?" Monika demanded.

"People." The pair of Lynx answered automatically.

"…WHAT!" Natsuki shouted loudly after about ten seconds of absolute silence.

"SHHH!" Monika hissed to quiet her. "No, no no no no no!" Monika angrily whispered. "We are NOT having this conversation here! Everyone outside now!"

Down the nearest alley all six members went, the two Lynx being grilled for a rational explanation.

"Explain yourselves right now! What the hell do you mean that you eat people?!" Monika demanded.

"…There isn't anything to explain, that's all we had to eat for the most part. We also kinda mentioned it when I met you all." May stated.

"We thought you were being metaphorical!" Sayori shouted.

May leaned over, loudly whispering to James, "I thought you said you told them everything?"

"I said I told them everything about myself. I may have glossed over the unimportant details."

"Unimportant details! You guys are freaking cannibals!" Natsuki accused.

"Hey now! There's a fine line between eating people and eating food sourced from people." May defended. "Go ahead and explain to them James."

"…" James glared at May, before sighing. "For your information, we do not consume human flesh, that would be barbaric."

"Yeah, no shit!" Natsuki shouted.

"After the Third Great Destruction, the world was effectively sterilized, with more than half the population of humans surviving in the ancient and extensive bunker systems below the Earth, but there was no food of any kind to speak of. In those first few years, two billion people starved to death. The League had a solution though. The corpses of the deceased would be processed into consumable plates or paste, through a process that broke down cellular matter into it's constituent elements. About eighty percent of these nutrient materials came from humans, the other twenty percent from nutritional elements mined from the ground."

"That seems…reasonable." Yuri relented. "It is understandable, if you truly had nothing else to eat."

"So you guys really never ate a person then, right?" Monika asked to clarify.

"…" James readjusted his stance, standing at attention, as one did when uncertain and unwilling to answer. May cringed, playing with a strand of her own hair to distract herself.

"…What the fuck guys!" Natsuki recoiled away from them.

"It's not something we're proud of! You have to remember that we are _predators_." May stressed. "Combat is drilled into our very core of existence, and if stressed and forced to fight for long enough, we might lose ourselves and resort to biting as a method of killing. The fact we might be acquiring nutrients while doing so just falls in with our baser needs." May hugged herself while remembering. "I was being hunted, day in and day out, without rest for an entire week. I just wanted to stop and rest and _eat_ something, anything, and when they tried to stop me at a village…I…" May shut her eyes. "I only remember the screaming, both my own and not. When I felt like myself again…the taste…that awful fucking taste…"

"I…" James spoke up, hoping to cut her off. "I was being overwhelmed with feelings I could not process and could not control. The only thing _Strayed_ could do was point me in a direction away from you four. I can't remember what led up to it, but I too, remember the screaming, that's something I cannot forget." James took a deep breath to pause. "When I came to, I spat, and I vomited desperately, but I can't deny what I did to that town."

"O-Oh…" Sayori cried out. "I'm sorry you two, that you guys lost control and did something you really regret."

"That's really nasty, what you two did, but at least you know it is wrong." Natsuki relented.

"I can't believe you guys have done something like that. But…It's good to know that you would attempt to avoid that." Yuri gave her response.

"You guys are both pretty messed up." Monika announced. "But I can't be cross with you when you are only capable of evil, and not inherently evil in itself. So please, just promise me you guys won't do something like that again."

"Of course." May nodded solemnly.

"You have my word." James nodded as well.

"Mmm." Sayori grumbled. "Everyone's got worked up today. I know! Why don't we go out for a pizza together?"

"Oh Sayori…" Monika smiled amused at her. "You always have the right thing to say. Okay, let's go!"

"Umm, I have a question?" May raised her hand. "What is pizza?"

* * *

One Hour Later

"Acquiesce what you have, and I may spare you."

"May…no." Natsuki grumbled annoyed.

"Then I shall challenge you, and strike you down." May threatened.

"Oh May, calm down." Monika ordered. "It's just pizza."

"But it's so good!" May complained. "Nothing taste this good back home! Do you guys always eat this kind of luxury food?"

"Not regularly, but maybe once a week or every other." Yuri answered.

"Come on Natsuki! You don't need that much, do you? Share some with your favorite Lynx, and I'll kill anyone who stands in your way." May offered.

"I said no! Gosh, if you want more, just ask James to order more." Natsuki redirected her.

"Oh James, if it isn't a burden, would you be so kind as to order me another one of those pizzas?" May begged as politely as she could.

"…Uh…sure?" James shrugged.

"Oh thank you! By the way, how much does that go for anyway?"

"Mmm, about two thousand Yen." James answered.

"…Is that a lot?" May questioned.

"No, not really. It's quite a bit more than other food, but it's also what most people of this time would consider 'pocket change.'"

"Oh, I see now." May nodded. "Where do these ingredients come from?"

"Oh, well we got you the simplest one just to start you off. It has bread, tomato, and cheese." Monika informed her.

"Hmm, I see. Is cheese a fruit or vegetable?" May asked.

"Ehehe, you're so silly May." Sayori giggled at her.

"…" James blinked, thinking slightly, then continued eating.

* * *

Morning / Next Day

"I can't wait any longer James!" May pleaded tiredly. "Let's just do it today!"

"Oh…very well." James sighed. "I can set us up for afterschool, we just have to leave during club, and to be quick about it."

"Alright then. I leave it in your hands." May nodded appreciatively.

* * *

Club / Later That Day

"Monika, I need to take May to sign some things. We'll be leaving now." James informed her, lying through his teeth.

"Okay, take care, and no killing each other!" Monika dismissed but demanded.

"Oh, hehe, sure." May assured her. "Goodbye Monika, bye Yuri, bye Natsuki, bye Sayori!" She waved dearly at each of her new friends.

"Bye May! See you next week! ...Or the weekend if you want? Eh, see you!" Sayori answered back excitedly.

"…Bye." May whispered back, clenching her fists. Certain she would return.

. . .

An hour later, and Natsuki felt strange.

"M-Monika!" Natsuki called out in worry.

"Hmm? What is it? You want to get going now?" Monika asked curiously.

"N-No, no I feel strange." Natsuki complained.

"Oh. Are those two… _doing it_ …again?" Sayori hissed in annoyance.

"No. This feels different. This feels like whenever James is about to take a mission, but it's so much more…excited." Natsuki tried to explain.

"…" Yuri pondered a moment. "Do you think…they could be fighting each other?"

"That's…" Natsuki felt deeper, through the connection she didn't want, to feel the intent of the overwhelming feeling. "That's exactly it Yuri…and I don't know if they intend to stop."

* * *

Meanwhile / Sixty Miles Away (Or Ninety-Six Kilometers)

"Oh, so that's what happened to them."

James had just finished explaining to May everything that had happened since he had joined the Literature Club.

"Yep. Now, last thing, I need you to sign this contract." James stated, handing over a sheet of paper.

"…" May looked over the contract, satisfied with what she was seeing, and signed away.

"Excellent. Now we just need to start."

"Okay. Let's see here…" May looked through the back of the truck, that they had parked a bit off the side of the road in the middle of forested land. "This looks promising." May smiled, selecting a pair of light machine guns.

"As you wish." James selected a second set of machine guns. "Now, turn around I'll help you with that armor."

"Is this that special armor you were making or…?"

"No, this is just regular Kevlar, we'd be out here all day if I had brought that stuff." James dismissed, while fastening a standard bullet-proof vest to May.

"So, you have the package?" May asked for confirmation.

"Yes, and it was oddly harder to acquire than I would have thought." James announced as he opened a box for the first time, extracting a timer for cooking. "A timer that rings either a few seconds too early or too late."

"Good, that will make it fair." May announced.

Leading each other just over a mile into the forest, James and May found an appropriate yet small clearing.

"Right, so you know the rules. The perimeter is one square kilometer and more of a formality to stay within; we both know the real objective." James announced.

"Right." May answered quickly. "To the better Lynx, Strayed of ORCA."

"To you as well, May of Collared." James turned the timer for two minutes, throwing it out a distance, before walking past and standing to face May.

Neither of them bothering to hide the excitement and anticipation for what they intended to do, only that they found it utterly necessary.

The timer rung, several seconds later than expected, and both Lynx moved, with only one desire on their minds.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: In my original draft for the Chrome facility, I accidently put the fusion reactors at the front of the building and the AI lab next to the metals foundry, which didn't make a lot of sense in hindsight. Sorry this took longer than expected, full-time work is good but leaves little room for writing and editing. No idea how long it will take to write chapter 30, but chapter 22 will be easy to edit at least.
> 
> Please feel free to comment, I appreciate everyone who does. Stay tuned for more!
> 
> Update: Forgot to mention that my explanation for Kojima Particles in this chapter is fairly basic and based on observations. There are other explanations that are far more likely and highly detailed.


	22. The Butcher Versus The Devil

It was truly ironic, the situation the Lynx found themselves in. The exact opposite of everything they knew about warfare.

In NEXT combat, May had become famous for her bright green Sunshine, Merrygate. Her heavy armor allowed her to wade through nuclear fire, then return the favor in volley after volley of missile and rifle fire. Strayed on the other hand, operated a medium weight Aaliyah, a jack-of-all-trades unit optimized for close-range efficiency. It's mark on the world left all aghast at being within laser-blade range, else they be cut down like so many others.

On foot, however, they were exactly opposite. Strayed's body was the better part of a foot taller than May's, the additional weight slowing it down. As well, May's mechanical legs gave her a slight advantage in speed.

As such, they would be fighting to their weaknesses. But Lynx were nothing if not adaptable, and adapting in combat, all the more so.

Both of them started their duel with several quick steps forward, followed by stepping right. In Strayed's case, that was to continue to close the distance, to have the opportunity to reach out with knives. May, alternatively, chose to stick with her strengths as well, focusing on keeping distance for the moment.

The twin machine guns they each carried were firing throughout. Strayed kept up a steady, but slower rate of fire, while May fired long burst opportunistically. Their rapid evasive movements causing most rounds fired by either to miss.

Unfortunately, this stage of combat was more of a formality than anything. Even with four hundred bullets each, neither Lynx was likely able to do much more than shred each other's armor apart.

Even so, as May retreated into the forest, where her mobility would greatly increase, both Lynx kept holding down their triggers, intent on shredding the other into nothing.

* * *

"Come on we have to hurry!" Natsuki urged her friends as they got to Monika's car.

"Are they going to hurt each other bad, Natsuki?" Sayori asked worriedly.

"Yes…yes they mean to kill each other!" Natsuki shouted.

"What changed all of a sudden that they decided to do that?" Yuri questioned.

"I don't know, some…'prerequisite' was met and they went from friendly and amiable to absolutely deadly, just like that!" Natsuki explained.

"Okay. Don't worry, we'll stop them. Now…where are they?" Monika asked.

* * *

Once their machine guns were emptied and discarded, the real damage began. Strayed kept lashing out, swinging it's fists fast and wide, just barely grazing May. Disconcertingly, she held back for the moment, observing her foe's moves, gauging how close she could get and still evade.

Strayed threw another punch, which May pushed slightly into a tree, causing the tree to splinter and cave where it was hit. Being creative and hopeful, May then jumped down to lower ground, then turned to defend herself. As she had hoped, Strayed jumped after her, leading with an overhead kick. Crossing her arms, she caught the kick, then grabbed it by the leg and threw it as far as she could with a short spin backwards.

Forced to correct itself to land, Strayed reached out to a tree with it's left arm, only to find May rushing after it, grabbing it's left arm while it was extended. She then pulled her legs up, pushing them against it's throat, while pulling on the arm with all her might, forcing it to dislocate.

Before she could do anymore damage, Strayed spun May so that she would collide with another tree, her head breaking the wood. Letting go, she rolled onto her feet, then pulled out a handgun.

While it wouldn't do much damage, it would be bad if she got a hit in it's eyes. Raising it's still operational right arm, Strayed blocked the shots being fired at it from a decreasing distance, only to lash out and smack her gun out of her right hand.

It's view unblocked, it caught sight of May's left hand, thrusting a black knife towards it's chest.

* * *

"Ah!" Natsuki shouted, clutching her chest.

"Natsuki! What's wrong?!" Sayori begged concerned.

"They're…they're killing each other!" Natsuki cried. "They're killing each other right now!"

* * *

May was surprised that her knife attack had managed to connect. Strayed had just managed to knock the blade lower so that it would not go through it's right heart, but not stop it in time to sink several inches into it's body. However, in her surprise, May hesitated for less than a second, and that cost her an early victory.

Strayed's right hand clamped down on her wrist, preventing her from doing any more damage. Even when she grabbed her own arm to keep the blade in, Strayed's superior size and strength allowed it to overpower her, slowly pulling the knife out of it's chest.

The blade free, Strayed then twisted May's wrist, forcing the blade up and away, and her body closer. Then, it reared back, delivering a vicious and powerful headbutt to the center of her face a moment later while throwing her arm back, causing her to stumble back.

Safe from attack for a moment, Strayed grabbed it's dislocated left arm, forcing it back into it's socket with a sickening crunching of tendons. Tensing it's arm, it pulled it back, then forward into a fist, ignoring the burning of muscles.

May steadied herself, feeling the state her face was in. Grabbing her broken nose, she gave it a swift snap, straightening it before leveling her eyes with her enemy. She put her knife away.

Strayed sighed excitedly, giving the smallest of smiles. With each of them raising their fists to attack, the fight was nowhere near done.

* * *

Shuttering in the backseat, Natsuki shut her eyes and hugged herself. "They're insane." She hissed harshly.

"What's going on? What can you tell?" Yuri asked curiously.

"They're just…beating each other senselessly." Natsuki hissed in pain. "They're hurting each other and themselves just because they can."

Natsuki looked at the back of her shaking hands, unbelieving of the damage that was being caused.

* * *

Strayed looked at the back of it's hands, inspecting the damage for a brief lull in the duel. Every knuckle on both hands was busted open, exposing silver-grey bones, slick with blood and shining in the reddening light of the quickly approaching evening.

May was the same, the bones of her knuckles exposed, blood flowing through her fists and onto the ground. Both of their bodies were sore from the relentless beating they were providing, yet were still quite short of final victory.

Then, Strayed jumped right back into the fight. Matching May blow for blow, both of them unconcerned with defending or countering; their only intent was to cause more damage to their enemy.

Back and forth, jackhammer strikes that would shatter a human were traded in matching sets. Each blow traded rung with the sound of a hammer on an anvil.

Deciding to change things up, Strayed moved in closer, blocking one of May's strikes and responding with a low kick that caused her to stumble briefly. Her recovery was to rush it, slamming it backwards into a large boulder. Their bodies pressed together, she began to deliver low blows to it's flanks, each blow cracking and splintering the stone at it's back. It clasped both fists together, slamming them down into her spine.

Quickly, the boulder they were pinned against shattered under May's assault, causing Strayed to fall backwards with May still in contact. It tried to slam it's fists into her spine again, but May grabbed it's body, tucked her legs in, and threw herself backwards. This action lifted Strayed in her grasp and slammed it's head into the ground.

Slightly stunned, Strayed wasn't as quick when May turned around, sitting on it's chest, her hands clamping down on it's throat. It was an earnest attempt to kill it, but such action would not be nearly as effective on a Lynx. In spite of the crushing force of her hands, Strayed responded calmly, one arm forcing her arms down lower, the other grabbing her by the collar, in order to quickly slam their heads together. As May was the one stunned now, Strayed took the opportunity to free itself, throwing her off and standing a few feet away.

When May recovered, she stood, and pulled a knife into her right hand. Strayed suppressed a smile, pulling a knife into it's right hand as well, and nodded briefly to her.

* * *

"SSSSS!" Natsuki hissed, holding herself tightly.

"Natsuki! Talk to me, what's going on?" Monika asked, her eyes still glued on the road.

"They brought their knives out…it's really bad." Natsuki answered.

"Are you alright? Is it too much?" Sayori inquired worriedly.

"Don't worry. I can handle it this time, not as much pain is being…shared…I think." Natsuki grimaced as she answered. "I'm just worried, because two of my friends are trying their hardest to kill each other."

Monika attempted to assure her friends. "D-Don't worry. We're almost there…I hope."

* * *

The escalation from fists to knives had elevated both the damage and the caution each Lynx was subjected to. Every breath, every movement they made was done with the intention of ending the enemy's life.

Quickly, bloody slashes accumulated on each body, gouged out by specialized blades more than capable of killing Lynx.

Swinging low, Strayed made to drive it's blade into May's gut. She countered it by turning, receiving an inch-deep gash for her troubles, but paid it back in kind by dragging her blade across it's right cheek, nicking bone.

May recoiled, holding herself where she'd been severely injured. Pushing through it, she readied herself, to bring her blade up to attack.

Instead, Strayed moved swiftly, closing on her guard before it was complete. As such, both of their blades sunk deep into flesh. May's blade to the hilt in it's stomach, and it's blade to the hilt in her chest.

Strayed brought it's head back to headbutt her again, but that trick wouldn't work anymore. May leaned to the side, dodging the strike, then turned her head into it, biting into the knife wound on it's face.

Not it's intention, but Strayed accepted the action, as it kept May distracted. Turning the blade in the upper part of her chest, it began to drag the blade down, towards her right heart.

May realized the amount of damage she was about to sustain, leaving her blade in Strayed's stomach, to put both her hands over it's, fighting to keep it from tearing her chest open. She slowed it's assault, but she was too small to stop it. She did the only other thing she could do, sink her teeth deeper into it's face, and continue tearing it open.

They struggled, May's jaw clamped onto Strayed's face, ripping flesh from bone. Strayed continued to drag the black blade lower, slowly closing on her heart, even through her resistance and her bones. The hole in her chest was large enough that it could hear her right heart, as it got closer and closer to skewering it.

* * *

It was fairly obvious the Lynx would be in the forest when they found James's truck off the side of the road.

"Nnnn!" Natsuki groaned, clutching her stomach. "C-Come on! This way!"

Leading her three fellow friends deeper into the woods, the scenery began to slowly change from a calm and peaceful forest to a broken and strewn battlefield. Trees lay freshly splintered and stone shattered in abundance. It was also too quiet, as the only sound left was that of their own breathing.

They knew they were close when the trail of destruction was stained in thick, dark blood, still oozing and dripping wet.

Then they found them, standing chest to chest. To a casual observer at a distance, it might appear that they were locked in an intimate embrace. However, on closer inspection, they were covered in blood, both their own and each other's. As well, there was a knife in James's stomach and May's chest, and she had her teeth locked onto his face. At the moment, they were struggling for dominance, while the blade in May's chest sunk lower at an agonizing yet alarming rate.

"Guys! Please stop fighting!" Sayori pleaded, rushing in, grabbing James by the back and trying to pull him away.

"Sayo-! Ooooo!" Yuri tried to warn Sayori, but decided instead to help her, grabbing May from behind, trying to pull her away as well.

"Guys…" Natsuki began to sob, clutching her stomach and her cheek. Falling to her knees, she began to vomit.

All throughout, James and May stood their ground, eyes boring into each other. It wasn't hate, driving them to stand unimpeded by the girls grabbing their backs. It was an insane promise, each content and willing to end the other's life and utterly indifferent to the possibility that they could be killed, welcoming the threat.

"…!" Monika clenched her teeth, seeing and realizing these facts. A moment of horrible realization came to her, an understanding of how professional and militaristic these Lynx preferred to be, and where they had placed her in their lives. "James! May! I order you two to stop fighting!" She shouted commandingly, yet desperately.

It wasn't immediately obvious that they were listening to her, but they were. They stopped struggling, staying still. Then, their eyes rotated in their skulls, spinning to glare down at Monika. Finally, they both let go, taking their hands off the blade in May's chest, and May releasing James's cheek from her mouth.

Stepping away from each other, they each reached for the blades sunk in their flesh, slowly pulling them out, wiping the blood off on their sleeves, then sheathing them. May fell to her knees, clutching the open wounds in her torso while hissing, Yuri being brought down with her. James calmly pried Sayori off him, causing her to gasp as she saw his face, her eyes reddening with tears.

Then James glared at Monika, and she tensed up as she saw the state he was in. Ignoring the numerous bruises and blood on the rest of his form, his right cheek was torn open, exposing the metallic bones of his skull and jawbone. Beneath the tearing and blood, she grimly noted a small hydraulic pump, connecting his jaw to his skull.

Between his wounds and his burning orange eyes, he looked exactly like a mechanical monster. Hateful flesh and indifferent steel, built to serve an endless war, and currently regarding her with a rage she could scarcely imagine.

"Y-…!" A choking cough escaped his throat, causing James to wince. Clutching at his neck, Monika saw black bruises in the shape of small, feminine hands. Sighing, James met her gaze again, glaring.

"Arrhh!" Natsuki shouted, before standing up surer, and meeting Monika with the same glare. " _You had no right to interfere with our duel, Monika_." Strayed spat, using Natsuki, keeping her form crouched and tense.

"That's…" Monika hesitated, before standing straighter, choosing to be a leader that was needed. "You two were going to kill each other. We had to stop you."

" _You fail to understand_." Strayed spoke while James paced. " _We have signed a contract, consenting to whatever outcome this duel would result in. This is ORCA and League business, over which you have no authority_."

"I-I am ordering you…" Monika repeated herself, hoping to override it.

" _ **You**_ _have no authority, Monika_." Strayed repeated as well. " _Save us Lynx, your command extends to three girls and a supply of books. Your responsibilities extend about as far as you could throw us_. _You cannot override the contract signed between our warring parties. I intend to take May's life, and that is final_."

"P-Please don't! James! You don't have to kill her!" Sayori pleaded, standing in his way. Calmly, without regarding her, he forced her aside, out of his way. Yuri tried to lift or drag May away, but May squirmed and struggled out of her grasp, still clutching at her wounds. Looking up, she met James's gaze with an insanely contented smile, calm even as blood spilled from her mouth.

"I'll…I'll do anything! Give you anything! Please! Just stop fighting!" Monika shouted. Surprisingly, James stopped pacing towards May, half turning in regard of Monika's offer.

" _There is only one option that exists that would spare her life_." Natsuki's body strode up to her, eyes and face blank of any emotion. " _Our standing orders to kill every Lynx come directly from the last commander of ORCA, Maximillian Thermidor. Only the word of a commander of the same rank could rescind that standing order_."

"I thought…" Yuri spoke up, listening intently. "I thought you would have commanded ORCA?"

" _I…we…_ " Strayed gestured to James. " _Are the lone survivors of ORCA. That does not make us fit to lead it. We'll lead any charge, defeat any and all on the battlefield, but commanding an organization, leading it to victory, is beyond our capabilities_."

"What are you suggesting?" Sayori asked, scared and concerned.

" _We suggest, that if May is to be spared, that Monika take the position as commander of the ORCA Brigade_."

It only took her a second, as the thought of saving a life was worth any sacrifice; or, at least, Monika assumed as much, damning the consequences. "Yes, I accept the position as-"

" _THIS IS NOT SOME CLUB FOR YOU TO HAPHAZARDLY LEAD AND LIGHT HEARTEDLY MAKE SUGGESTIONS FOR_!" Strayed screamed at her. " _This is_ _ **ORCA**_ _, the terrorist reactionary force condemned from the moment of it's conception. This position demands that you order one and all to their deaths for the chance to make The League bleed, for the objective of sacrificing a billion innocent lives for the sake of billions more. Though we completed the Closed Plan, we would expect you to uphold those ideals, to be ready and willing to do what must be done against any enemy that exist, regardless of the cost_."

"That's…" Monika began to realize the weight of responsibility that was being placed on her.

"Don't…not for my sake." May shook her head, warily eyeing Monika.

"B-But May!" Sayori shouted sadly.

"Listen!" May said louder, more desperately. "I've had a good run, and there is no shame letting me die. This is a good death. What you are asking for is not worth the cost of one Lynx. I'm not of ORCA, but I understand them." May grit her teeth, bowing her head darkly. "They were fanatics of the highest order, willing giving their lives to complete their objectives. That is what made ORCA so dangerous, they traded lives for results, and even being slaughtered to a man, they won, against the whole world."

"May…" Monika uttered quietly.

"Please Monika, you've been a good leader…and a friend. I thank you for that. It's fine…let me die. Because…if you take that path, take on the burden of command…you'll…burn." May promised. "You'll burn with the weight of unthinkable sins, of that, I can assure you most certainly. So please, my life is a small price to pay for your innocence."

"…May." Monika knelt by her side, growing more certain. "I betrayed my best friend once, for my own profit. I've since promised myself, that I would never again betray my friends. I'm sorry, but I will do what I must to save your life."

" _Monika_." Strayed demanded attention. Standing up to James confidently, she steeled her heart. " _Do you accept the responsibilities and duties expected of you as commander of the ORCA Brigade?_ "

"I do." Monika declared, certain, yet unknowing of the trials she would face.

" _Then, as it's sole survivor, I declare you, Commander Monika, leader of the ORCA Brigade_." Strayed declared. James saluted her, expressing no emotion other than undying loyalty. It was a quiet moment, set in the ruined forest under a red cast sunset, the three witnesses, Sayori, Yuri, and May, silent to the proceedings, unknowingly watching the world turn ever closer to damnation.

"Dammit…" May muttered, watching the new commander of the ORCA she was sworn to be an enemy to. "Dammit…all…" She knew now where her profit lay, what she needed to do. As well, she realized what was soon approaching.

" _Your orders, Commander Monika?_ " Strayed asked in James stead, still using Natsuki's body.

"I…rescind your standing order to hunt the Lynx to extinction, and command you to save May's life." Monika ordered. She honestly expected some reluctance or resistance on his part.

" _At once, Commander Monika_." If there was any, it could not be perceived, not as James saluted and Strayed relayed his words.

"You…bastard…" May grunted, as she was lifted over his shoulder. "Did you plan that? To add to the ranks of that infernal organization? To spite me?"

" _It was left as an option, I will admit, but I still intended to kill you_." Strayed relayed, walking beside James in Natsuki's form.

"Monika…" Sayori asked sadly. "What…happens now?"

"I don't know Sayori. But, things are going to be slightly different, I imagine." Monika responded quietly.

"Will… everything be okay? You just accepted command of a mad terror organization?" Yuri uttered curiously and cautiously.

"As dangerous as that is, they are asking me to fight a war four centuries away. I seriously doubt there is anything we will ever have to deal with." Monika announced assuredly.

* * *

Meanwhile / Moscow, Russia

In a secret planning room deep within a governmental building, officials, generals, and officers argued over their eviscerated plans.

"Half a dozen bases in Tokyo and the elite Spetsnaz squads guarding each site have been wiped out by, if these reports are accurate, one adolescent Arab!" Shouted one official.

"At this point, we will have to cancel our invasion plans if the government of Japan is not damaged by terrorism. The President will see heads roll for this failure." Another commented harshly.

The doors to the room opened, and a middle-aged man, dressed casually in a trench coat and a fedora sauntered in lazily, a cigarette burning on his lips.

"Ah, here is the man I told you about, the KGB's top analyst, Mr-" One of the younger officers spoke to introduce the man.

"Please, just call me, 'The Investigator.'" The man spoke up, rudely reaching over a senior general to put out his cigarette in a tray on the table.

"Well, Mr. 'Investigator', what can you tell us about our Arabic boy here?" Another official demanded.

"…" The Investigator sighed tiredly, recalling information by memory as he slowly paced the side of the room. "My original theory was that this 'boy' as you called him, was a child soldier in Iraq or Afghanistan, kidnapped by the Americans and trained to be either a SEAL or Delta Force Operator. I've long since abandoned this theory."

"Okay…" The head general stated. "So, what do you know about this boy?"

"Nothing." The Investigator shrugged.

"N-Nothing!" Another general shouted. "The supposed best analyst of the KGB has nothing to show!?"

"Yes, and that in itself is unusual." The Investigator added. "There is no record of this boy existing before 2016, in anywhere other than Japan. We only know two things for certain; that he is an expert, bar none, in combat, and that he is often referred to as 'The Butcher' by those he works for. A mercenary for hire, both by the criminals and the government of Japan."

"Do you have any solutions to deal with this 'Butcher'?" The first general asked.

"Nothing for certain, though more anti-tank rifles might be useful, I suspect." The Investigator lazily suggested.

"Do you have anything else to report?" A third officer asked.

"Yes. Sources and information shared from North Korea seem to indicate that there is another hyper-lethal soldier operating in the theater. That nuclear explosion last month in North Korea? It seems that an American woman named 'May' was the cause of it."

"She caused it? How?" The second general demanded.

"Unknown, as she killed all the witnesses. There was some indication to a 'machine' she had but now it's just a radioactive crater. What we do know was that she evaded and slaughtered them for a month before walking out, unopposed. Her conduct was unnaturally vicious, leading many to refer to her as 'The Devil.' There is some evidence that she is also in Japan."

"Hmm." The first general thought. "Make contingencies to counter this 'Butcher' and 'Devil' immediately. Use whatever resources you require."

"Yes. I was planning to go directly to Japan myself to help these proceedings." The Investigator nodded, turning to leave.

"What is with that damn hat?" The second general asked ungratefully.

The Investigator turned, smiling. "It keeps the rain off my head."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's a lot of damn foreshadowing here, and I have no intention of explaining it. Hoped you like seeing two Lynx fight on-foot. Also this new character, "The Investigator", is based on but only shares a name with a character from The Expanse, with the self-explanatory job of "Investigating".
> 
> This is one of the shortest chapters, but still an important part of the arch. Released it very early as I am going to be working on Chapter 30 for a while, but I'll get it done. Hope you all enjoyed and let me know what you think, stay tuned for more!


	23. Title Irrelevant

Next Day / 6:00 A.M.

"Good morning, Commander Monika." James stated roughly.

"Wha-AAAH!" Monika shouted, sitting up quickly in bed. "What are you doing in my room!?"

"Finalizing your position as commander of the ORCA Brigade." He said, his voice hoarse and hard.

"What do…mnn…" Monika sighed as she remembered what she agreed to, while she pulled her sheets up to cover her chest more thoroughly. "That's right…ugh…couldn't this have waited?"

"No."

"Of course not." She sneered. "How's…how's May, by the way?"

"…" James sighed, despondently. "Unfortunately…May continues to live."

"…" Monika raised her eyebrow at his answer. "Don't be so mean to her James, she's hu-" She paused, realizing her mistake. "She's…a person."

"Hmm, even that is a stretch." James cracked while Monika winced. Observing him for a moment, he had done a good job of stitching his own face back together, with a large bandage on his cheek. He was still heavily bruised, his skin darkened with dried blood. Most horrifying was his eyes; bloodshot with his dark colored blood, they appeared as black orbs with rings of patiently hateful orange light.

"That's…something I should ask. Where do we stand with May, now?" Monika inquired.

"That is more difficult to know. As it is, May is an enemy of ORCA, which makes you her enemy. However, she has no authority to move against us."

"…What does that mean?" Monika narrowed her eyes.

"As ORCA, we are enemies of The League. That means that only a representative of G.A. America or Collared can order May to attack us. She cannot name anyone to hold such a position as I did with you, as G.A. and Collared were relatively intact last I recall, whereas I was the entirety of ORCA's authority before you. As well, May is still technically a member of the Literature Club, and would not move against the other girls and, by extension, you."

"But…" Monika questioned the obvious. "Why can't she move against us? Even if she is alone she could always…take the initiative?"

"Lynx are very much discouraged from taking the initiative." James explained. "We were made and programmed to act only on the orders of others. While Lynx can always act in their own interest, they almost always do so while in some form of contract to an authority."

"That's because…you are considered a tool or a weapon?" Monika asked sadly.

"We _are_ weapons Monika, never forget that." James stressed. " _Homo Factus Telum_ , man made weapons."

"That is…the name of your species?" Monika frowned curiously. "Is that what it means?"

"Yes." James nodded. "Now, you will need this." He then handed her an unassuming smartphone. "This communications terminal has been loaded with all the data a commander of ORCA would need to know. I don't expect you to memorize everything, but please look it over to know where relevant data is located."

"What kind of information is that?" She questioned somewhat curiously.

"Unknown, I didn't have the authority to open it for myself. I suspect it would be statistics of troops and equipment, plans for assaulting League facilities, threat assessments, such and such and the like." He answered.

"Fine. Just get out of my house now." Monika demanded.

"At once, Commander Monika." James nodded, leaving immediately.

"…" Sighing tiredly, Monika decided to start look into ORCA's files.

**/IDENTIFICATION CONFIRMED**

**/ADMINISTRATOR PRIVILEGES GRANTED**

**/ORCA COMMAND FILES OPENED**

**/NOTIFICATIONS: 1 MESSAGE RECEIVED**

Monika groaned at the notification of the message, wanting James to just leave her alone. Pressing on the notification, she opened the message.

**/SENDER: MAXIMILLIAN THERMIDOR**

**/DATE SENT: SEPTEMBER 09, 2450**

Her blood ran ice cold as the name and date came up. How in the _fuck_ had the former leader of ORCA contacted her from the future? What could such a man have to say to her?

Then, she relaxed, and thought about it logically. James said he hadn't opened these files, so they had likely gone unaccessed since Thermidor's death. This was most likely a message left by Thermidor intended for his successor, not something he intentionally sent back in time to her personally.

Still, the idea that she was currently holding a message that no one had ever seen before, sent from one of the most dangerous people who had ever lived, who had commanded the Lynx of ORCA and sent them to their deaths, frightened her. Rather than see what he had to say, she closed the message, leaving it unopened in the inbox.

There was plenty of other files to access in the phone anyway, and it would take her a long time to get through them all.

* * *

Monday / Before School

Her roommate had tried to remove her right heart and crudely put her back together. May might be tough, but James's bedside manner had incurred further injury before he'd eventually acquiesced and saved her life.

Her genetic augmentations would eventually fix the nanocarbon filaments that had snapped in her nose, but until then, she had a bandage holding it still, her face still heavily bruised. Not that she'd allow her injuries to impede her in anyway, such a thing was beneath a Lynx of her Rank.

"Oh my-May! Are you okay?" A boy from one of May's classes approached her worriedly. His name wasn't important enough to warrant remembering, but she had, more out of habit and since she had the hard drive space to do so.

"…Hi Ren. I'm fine." May calmly answered the boy, hoping he'd ignore the issue. She didn't much care for this human. There was no profit to be made in interacting with him.

"That's the second time you've been injured in just over a week. Tell me, I've heard you've been hanging around Monika's club. Was it that foreign guy no one likes, James?"

"It does not concern you. Excuse me, I'd like to get to class." May dismissed casually and indifferently, walking past him quickly. Unfortunately, her attitude came across as unintentionally desperate, or so he assumed.

"CH!" Ren hissed as May disappeared. "I swear May, I'll protect you from that bastard!" He promised to himself.

* * *

Club / Later that Day

Sayori, Natsuki, and Yuri looked on curiously and worriedly as Monika continued to lay face down on a desk, groaning and sighing tiredly.

"Uh, Monika? Are you okay?" Sayori asked, looming over her with concern.

"Ugh…" Monika groaned. "I've just been getting through the files of ORCA. It's been rather…comprehensive."

"Oh, anything interesting you want to talk about?" Yuri asked.

"One of the psychotic things they had was a series of Jet-class Arms Forts." Monika mumbled, eyes dull as she remembered the file in question.

"Was that a large aircraft of some type?" Natsuki wondered.

"The exact opposite, actually." Monika looked up slightly, her tired eyes meeting her friends. "It was a one-hundred-meter-tall tank with a superior armored shell shaped like a turtle. It's armed with plasma cannons and, get this, super-heavy laser blades."

"Oh? Laser blades on something that big? I remember James said he preferred using laser blades that were eighteen meters long. How far could it's blades reach?" Yuri added and asked.

"About two kilometers. Deployed in small groups, these Jet-classes devastated The League's armies." Monika mumbled. "Yet several were seemingly lost."

"Really? How did something so dangerous get taken out?" Sayori inquired in surprise.

"The ventral exhaust port is a large hole in it's defenses." May walked in, explaining. "I should know, that is how I managed to take down half a dozen."

"May…you fought those things?" Natsuki asked surprised.

"Intel wasn't very clear as to their capabilities. The League sent several light and medium weight Arms Forts at the Jet formations, only to lose them all. They then sent us Lynx to deal with them in pairs. My partner, a nameless irregular, was quickly cut down by those laser blades you mentioned. I figured out their weak spot and finished the mission."

"As to be expected from a League Ranked. Adaptability to an unknown enemy." James half-heartedly praised from the door.

"H-Hi May…" Monika greeted, only to get a dismissive grunt from her. "…May?"

"…" May glared at Monika, sighing. "You've put me in a very strange and uncomfortable position, Commander Monika of _ORCA_." She spat at the last word. "My station demands your death…as soon as I receive orders to carry it out." She grimaced tiredly.

"A-Ah…" Monika groaned apprehensively.

"Additionally, I am technically still a part of the Literature Club, which puts me in the very awkward position of being both your subordinate and your enemy…so…I'll compromise with being a member of the club until such time as an administrator of G.A. can order me to take any action." May avoided eye contact as she forced herself to state her position.

"That's…acceptable." Monika nodded.

"…" May gave a half-hearted smile back, stepping away and looking out a window.

"I'm…curious May, you seem more…down than usual?" Yuri inquired reluctantly, with some concern as she grasped her hands behind herself.

"I've been rather stressed recently, Monika becoming the leader of my enemy, being injured, Strayed not taking our fight seriously…" May listed off, her head lazily cocked to the side.

"Wait, what?" Natsuki spoke up. "What do you mean he didn't 'take the fight seriously'?"

"Yeah, you guys were both really injured when we found you." Sayori added darkly, looking between the two Lynx.

"You have to understand something about us Lynx. I was the Eighteenth Ranked of Collared, which makes me one of the top combat specialists on the planet, while _they_ slaughtered their way to Rank One, top killer of all." May sighed, blinking in remembrance. "Strayed is the best at close range combat. I've seen their work firsthand, and the remains of it. It is grisly and efficient, what it does. The only reason I'm still here is because Strayed decided not to go all out, they only used one knife, when I know for a fact they are an expert at using two. So that begs the question, why handicap yourself when, you could have ended it so quickly?" She asked to the better half of him.

James's eyes took on that cold and dangerous calm, while he smiled darkly. " _It wouldn't be a fair fight, otherwise_." It purred cruelly and slowly.

"…Fuck you!" May shouted softly, sneering in response to Strayed's cruel smile.

"Can you guys just not for once?" Monika begged exhaustibly. "Please leave your _fucking_ war in the correct century." She ground out, demanding harshly.

James and May looked at Monika, then at each other in mild surprise. Shrugging, they nodded to Monika quietly.

"I think I'm going to head home today. I spent too long looking at those files." Monika groaned.

"I didn't say to look at them all, just to familiarize yourself with them." James reminded her.

"I got rather…carried away, I'll admit." Monika sighed. "But you did give me access to such…such horrifically detailed information. I had to keep looking."

"And what did you find?" James asked.

"About you? Nothing I didn't already know." Monika stared darkly.

"So don't forget the responsibility that you hold." James nodded kindly. "Well, if you are tired, I suppose we'll be off. I had a new project I was going to start researching anyway." He gave a half-hearted wave, leaving the room. May gave them all a playful and carefree nod, narrowing her eyes with a smile, before leaving as well.

"What is it you read about him, Monika?" Sayori asked curiously.

"…" Monika grimaced sickly as she remembered the highly detailed files relating to James Klein. The coldly insensitive after-action reports, the graphic combat-footage, the numerous threat assessments gathered from League and ORCA analysts, and the insane and grim statistics. All of it boiling down to a simple and precise quote that Mazel had left in his files.

" _James '_ _ **Strayed**_ _' Klein is the most monstrous individual we have records of. Even his own grandmother, the Last Raven, failed to match his savage butchery on the battlefield_."

"That even his own people…called him a monster."

* * *

Club / Next Day

"Commander Monika, I need to leave to begin gathering materials for my next project." James announced officially to her.

"…I mean…if it's for that company you built, then fine, sure. And stop calling me 'commander'." Monika demanded annoyed.

"Very well, co-…Monika." He corrected himself, turning to leave.

"J-James!" Sayori shouted, rushing to stand by him. "Can I…um…"

"…" Patiently, he waited.

"Can I come with you?" She begged shyly, smiling eagerly.

"…" He seriously considered it for a moment, before remembering what it was he was going to produce, and knowing she would disapprove. "Sorry, no. I need to make industrial deals anyway, nothing you would enjoy." He reached over her head, tracing her bow tenderly for a moment. "See you tomorrow."

"Mmm!" Sayori hummed pleasantly, surprised at his kindness while he kept such a cold expression. "Bye…!" She called out dearly, falling disheartened at his absence.

"Sayori…don't be sad." Natsuki rubbed her shoulder.

"It's just…you know…" Sayori implied.

"Mmm…you're crazy…but then again, you are the kindest girl I know." Natsuki praised her.

"Hmm." Sayori thought about what she should do, turning to look at her friends. "Hey! I know! Let's have a girl's day out!"

"Oh, good idea! Since it's just us girls we should go have fun at the mall!" Monika added eagerly.

"Yeah! Come on May! It will be fun!" Sayori eagerly pounced on the living weapon, pulling on her sleeve.

"Oh…um…I guess? What's a mall though?" May questioned.

* * *

Mall / Three Hours Later

Aesthetics was something May understood about as well as James. Beyond customizing their NEXT, they would both agree that modifying their own appearance would be redundant, even if they dressed in their favorite colors.

Even so, the four human girls made it their mission to make a woman out of May, much to her confusion and resistance.

Eventually, through much bickering and hands-on assistance, they had managed to create a design that was significantly more feminine than May's preferred style.

"Come on out May! I can't wait to see!" Sayori shouted eagerly to the changing room in a clothing store.

May looked much more like a girl than a mercenary, wearing a thigh length dress with green and black stripes. Monika had had the bright idea of having her wear long black stockings to cover up her prosthetics. Sayori and Natsuki had helped with the dress and a light amount of makeup on her face, giving her some color beyond that ghostly pale of an underground girl; while Yuri had painted her nails a favorable green.

Of course, May's mannerisms were anything but feminine. Her expression was a bit more confused and embarrassed as she pulled at the length of her dress, her eyes wandering up to her eyelashes in confusion at their new length and thickness. As well, she moved with the ridged assurance of a soldier, and anyone staring at the back of her legs would notice her hydraulic pumps as they retracted and left visible bulges opposite of her knees.

"So…where am I supposed to hold these?" May questioned as she held up two handguns in a questioning shrug.

"AAH!" Sayori and Natsuki shouted in surprise, while Yuri spun nervously, looking to see if anyone noticed. Monika panicked as well, lunging to grab a nearby purse from a display, before quickly disarming May and tossing her weapons into the bag.

"Dammit May! Why did you bring those here?" Monika chastised her.

"A good Lynx is always armed." May explained, turning to look into a mirror. Her cold and calculating gaze assessing herself and the changes made to her.

"Wow, you are really pretty now, May." Sayori praised.

"…Was I not before? I do not see this as a noted improvement." May questioned, her head leaning as she looked herself over.

"What Sayori means is that you look much more…girly?" Natsuki suggested.

"In what way is that important?"

"W-Well, it means now that people will notice you more, appreciating what they can see." Yuri added, hoping to be useful.

"…I do not desire to be apprised visually for my properties. I much prefer to be considered for my capabilities. I see now how vanity played such a role in the old world's demise." May declared, much to the disappointment of her friends. Then, cracking a sinister smile, she stated boldly, "However, if the four of you find my altered visual state so agreeable, then I do not mind baring it for your _viewing pleasure_." She then walked away, swaying her hips much more alluringly.

"…Did she just flirt with us?" Sayori pointed confused.

"Ugh, Lynx are so weird. You think you're teaching them something new, then they go and make _us_ the fools." Natsuki grumbled.

"Well, she certainly learns fast." Monika raised her eyebrows.

"…" Yuri forced herself to stop staring.

. . .

Some time and a dinner later, Monika, Sayori, and Natsuki were sitting opposite of May and Yuri.

"Tell us how you met James?" Sayori requested curiously.

"Hmm, okay. So, late January 2450, the corporation Algebra hijacked a pair of Land Crabs and were using them to occupy the Richland Agricultural Plant in North America. I get put on launch alert and am told enroute that I'll be supported by a lower ranked Lynx. Naturally, I assumed I would be doing most of the fighting." May began, telling her story.

"That was James as your support?" Natsuki asked to clarify.

"On the field, he's Strayed, but yeah." May corrected. "Now, Land Crabs are very efficient Arms Forts, they're considered medium weight at two million tons, combat loaded, as well as being two hundred meters tall. They are also very dangerous, with quad, triple-barreled fifteen-hundred-millimeter coil guns, six missile batteries, and internal capacity for an armored battalion."

"So…not an easy opponent then?" Monika asked sheepishly.

"Not even close, yet somehow, my 'support' rushes in and starts cutting off the leg's of the damn things, rendering them combat ineffective. I was only needed to keep the armored support off his ass, that is, when he wasn't skewering them on his blades."

"What did you think of him then?" Yuri wondered.

"I was curious, seeing as how he was very low ranked at the time, yet somehow, he surpassed me on the battlefield. I told him quite honestly that 'we worked well together'." May remembered. "I was interested in seeing him fight again. And then…he made a name for himself, fighting impossible odds, in inferior conditions, taking down both Ranked Lynx and numerous Arms Forts. We fought again in early June, and I made an effort to meet him. I'm not sure what I was expecting, but a young Lynx my own age certainly wasn't it. He was quiet, but, I'll admit, I liked him more then."

"Why is that?" Sayori asked sadly.

"Because, that second time we fought together, I was pushed to the absolute limit, fighting blind and at close range against Shamir, a Lynx widely regarded as depraved beyond madness. She would have killed me if not for Strayed's support. But…how it fought…scared me."

"What do you mean it 'scared you'?" Monika questioned.

"There are different ways a person fights depending on how they are thinking. I'd like to think I'm calm and calculating when in combat. But when Strayed had my back, covering me in that frozen and cold blasted battlefield against two equally Ranked Lynx, I realized that it was the same as her. It enjoyed the battlefield, the killing, that even calm and silent, Strayed was just as depraved as Shamir. I told him I wanted to be an ally again, but I was desperate not to be on the receiving end of his blades." May shuttered as she remembered that long day. "And then…July 31st, 2450. The day ORCA declared war on the whole world, and he was among them. Unaffiliated and blacklisted by The League, they revealed some information about him, that he was an irregular before, and I was caught between being afraid and being hateful to have fought by his side."

"Why was that? What does being an 'irregular' mean?" Syaori asked innocently.

"irregular doesn't translate well to this time. It's proper use is as a rank denoting a value equivalent to null, and applies to those who are not skilled in Next combat; but it's used interchangeably as an insult, and has been so since the first Armored Cores. We are taught to look down on the irregulars, that the irregulars cannot be trusted, that killing irregulars for sport is acceptable and encouraged." May explained carefully.

"Wha-! So when you call him an irregular, you're really insulting him!?" Sayori realized, shouting.

"Of course. Even if he's more than demonstrated his skill in Next combat, he's proven through his actions to be the very pinnacle of a filthy and worthless irregular, an un-honorable and dangerous _thing_ not to be trusted."

"That's rather harsh, what could he have done to have damaged his own reputation so badly?" Natsuki wondered out loud.

"Judith." May remarked with calm certainty. Her answer was left with acute silence. "I see, that he has told you then, what happened to that young Lynx."

"He admitted to having killed her…" Yuri remarked.

"He stabbed her in the back while still considered an ally. Such action is detestable to the highest order, and has shown that he is deserving of the darkest contempt. If I were you, I'd cut ties with him, while you still have a chance." May warned seriously.

"May, that's too cruel, we couldn't do that to a friend." Monika responded.

"It's still something you should consider. He is not to be trusted, and even if you call him an ally and a friend, you are all still in danger of being killed most abruptly-" May assured them.

"Shut up!" Sayori shouted, standing up. "You know, I was actually jealous of you, for being with him. But it turns out you might be even worse than him!"

"…?" May raised her eyebrow at the accusation, but continued to be silent.

"You say that he is detestable, irredeemable, un-honorable, but even if that is so, I owe him my life. He saved me from myself when he didn't need to. Sure, he could have done it in a better way, but he didn't hesitate to help any of us when we really needed it. Do you think, for even one second, that he really wanted to be despised by the world? Do you think he wanted to bare such sins, killing all those innocent people when he just wanted revenge for the family he isn't allowed to remember? I'd hate to be something like him, so confused and alienated from everyone, and burdened with such horrific obligations. He isn't human, we see that every day, and he clearly doesn't fit in with you and yours, not when you keep calling him such a mean word. He doesn't know where he belongs in this world, and that's just so sad." Sayori whimpered momentarily, before baring her teeth and speaking dark and coldly. "If you ever wondered what hell looks like, just look at his eyes, and imagine what's he's had to do."

"…" May thought for a moment, lightly tapping the side of her head in thought. "You like him, don't you?"

"…" Sayori nodded sadly, her fists clenched tightly.

"Huuu…" May sighed rolling her eyes. "Very well, in that case I will give you two very honest bits of information. The first is that James and I are not together. Sure, we fucked, but that was more out of extreme boredom and begrudging acknowledgement that we both do not belong in this time. He might be my enemy, but without contact with our superiors, we've made an unofficial contract to keep each other alive until exceptional circumstances change our situation. That is the extent of our relationship, not quite allies, not quite enemies, and most certainly not regular fuck buddies." May paused, allowing Sayori to appreciate that bit of information. "That being said, I would still strongly advise against you seeking any kind of relationship with him."

"May-!" Monika began to chastise her.

"Listen!" May held up a finger. "I will explain this without bias, with profoundly serious concern for your health. The Lynx Modifications A through C are still mostly human, with between seventy to ninety percent of their brains being unchanged. As a B Mod., I fall within this range, I still understand human emotions and can more assuredly control my strength to not hurt humans. James, on the other hand, is a Mod. D, a type of Lynx so utterly devoted to combat, it's difficult to say there is any humanity left. His brain is divided in thirds; a third of it machine, memory cores and control A.I.; a third called Strayed, so depraved in war it chose to name itself something that literally means 'no longer human'; and the final third is James, who was reprogrammed to be as efficient as possible out of combat, in support of Strayed. Even the one Mod. E Class 5 Lynx created, Cube, who was just a partial brain in a completely synthetic body, was shown to have some understanding of humanity, especially when Strayed killed him."

"What um…does that mean?" Natsuki asked reluctantly.

"Cube died screaming." May informed calmly. "So you see, when I warn you against seeking a relationship with him, I do so with serious concern for your lives. He wasn't made to interact with humans, and the fact that any of you are still alive is literally a statistical anomaly." Even as she said this, she saw the hesitant determination that glazed Sayori's eyes. "Oh, but if you are so foolishly committed to such a pursuit, then I suppose the least I could do is offer you some useful advice."

"Wait…really?" Sayori perked up hopefully.

"Yeah, and only cause you're a really sweet kid, so listen up." May leaned forward, resting on her elbows. "The first thing you are going to need is patience, an infinite and obscene amount of patience. A Lynx of his type isn't attracted to anything, at all, in terms of human relations. If you want to impress him, get in more fights, get stronger, and he'll consider you an asset of greater value. Also, be assertive and unyielding, as all Lynx respect strength. I understand that some of you have written love poems to him before?"

"Mmm!" Natsuki squeaked.

"That isn't a very good way of getting his attention. It might be your words, but you aren't saying them. If you want to him to consider what you have to say, you can't ask him nicely, you are going to have to be forceful and businesslike. He sees the world in terms of contracts, just like me, so you have to convince him that a contracted relationship is going to be profitable to him."

"That's…thank you, May." Sayori smiled appreciatively.

"W-What about you, May?" Yuri asked hesitantly but playfully.

"Well, for me, all you have to do is ask!" May shouted, pulling Yuri seductively close, one hand on her hip, the other over her front on her shoulder.

"W-Wait! May! I-I didn't mean-!" Yuri denied.

"I saw you inspecting my posterior earlier. Did you find it aesthetically pleasing? I have to admit, you are looking most profitable today yourself." May purred, grinning cruelly up at the taller girl.

"T-That is…it's…" Yuri stuttered, embarrassed at being held as she was.

"May, please stop teasing Yuri like that." Monika tiredly ordered.

"Oh, very well." May shrugged playfully, letting go of Yuri in a slow manner that dragged her fingers over her skin, causing Yuri to shiver.

"You're not shy about flirting, are you May? Not even with the same gender?" Natsuki questioned.

"I am a Lynx. I live with the understanding that at any moment I could be dropped into combat of the highest order, and that it could cost me my life. I do not much care for limiting my potential bed partners simply for their equipment. I'd rather not regret this life I've chosen for myself." May explained happily. "You'll find most Lynx share that kind of sentiment, of not caring who they sleep with. The real question is whether or not they are going to care for that person the next morning."

"Is James like that too?" Sayori asked, overwhelmed with curiosity.

"Oh, much more so, in that it is much less likely he is going to be bothered to engage in relations at all. But yeah, I doubt he would care about who he was sleeping with, only if there was any value in doing so." May explained.

"Hey girls, as entertaining as this conversation is, it's getting late, and we still have school tomorrow. Let's get going." Monika informed them, leading them to the exit. They didn't quite make it there uninterrupted.

"What the-May!" A boy from their school shouted in surprise. "You look…cute!"

"…Hi Ren." May muttered, before deciding she was already bored. "Listen…I need to get going..?" She pointed over her shoulder, trying to back up towards the mall exit.

"Wait! I wanted to ask if you were doing anything this weekend?" Ren forced her to listen.

She didn't, and didn't have the capacity to lie about it. So instead, she made plans. Ignoring the encouraging looks from all the girls sans Yuri, May grabbed Yuri by the hand and snuggled up to her. "Actually, I was going to spend the weekend with my girlfriend, so sorry, all my time is used up." Her right leg curled up, as she pressed her face into Yuri's chest.

"Ah!" Yuri squealed in surprise.

"O-Oh…okay…um…yeah…I'll...see you at school?" Ren waved uncertainly. "Bye…?"

May waved back, a playful and mischievous smile on her. "Right, so…Yuri, come by this weekend, I suppose I'll have to take care of you." She declared, stepping away and leaving, still wearing a cruel smile.

"…What just happened?" Natsuki questioned.

"I think…Yuri just got a girlfriend?" Sayori guessed.

"Congrats…I think." Monika smiled uncertainly.

"…Oh no…" Yuri blushed intensely. "She turned me gay."

* * *

Tokyo Business District / Meanwhile

Two men exited the Murakumo head offices, tired but satisfied with their day. Their position in the medical and industrial company meant they made an annual six figure salary. Their shifts over, they were looking to relax, get a drink, and go home. On their way out of the office, they clumsily collided with someone.

"Hey! Watch where you are going! Hm?" The shorter man noticed the skin tone and bright, orange eyes of the young man he bumped into. "Hey, you're not from around here, are you?"

"…"

"Hey man, do you have a problem? Apologize to my friend." The taller man tapped the young man's chest with the back of his hand.

"…"

"Ah, he's a foreigner, probably couldn't be bothered to learn the local language. What an idiot." The shorter man mocked.

The taller man made a show of raising his fist to punch the foreign boy in the face. However, the boy didn't even flinch.

"Yo, stop pissing me off! We could beat you, you know, and no one would care about some foreign punk bleeding in the street." The shorter man threatened.

"…"

"Ah, let's get going man, look at how he's dressed, what a dirty and old looking coat."

"Yeah, you're lucky we didn't fuck you up kid!"

"…" James watched the backs of the two men as they left him alone. Turning to look at the building they exited, he had an idea.

* * *

Murakumo Head Offices / Next Day

The two men returned to work, only to find their desks cleared of their belongings.

"W-What the!?"

"Where's our stuff?"

"Hey, boss wants to see you two, top floor, now." Their floor manager ordered bluntly.

Confused and with no other option, the two men rode the elevator, blabbering on fearfully yet hopeful, but utterly confused.

Heading into the top floor conference room, the two men found the CEO, the Board of Directors, and…

"Hey…it's that kid from yesterday!" The shorter one pointed out and shouted. James stood, facing the window, his hands held behind his back.

"That 'kid' is the new Majority Shareholder of the corporation. As of this morning, he now owns seventy-two percent of our shares." The CEO informed the two men. "From what I understand, the two of you verbally assaulted Mr. Klein here, prompting him to literally buy out the company out of spite."

"H-How were we supposed to know that some quiet, dirty looking kid was going to buy out the whole company!" The taller man shouted.

"That's not my problem. One of his conditions for buying our stock was to fire the both of you. Thank you for your long service to the company, but goodbye." The CEO announced.

"You! You can't do this! I've been a loyal employee for fifteen years!" Shouted the shorted man as security came to get them both out.

"Hey! This isn't fair!" The taller man shouted as security forced them both out of the building. They were in such a state that they didn't notice the green haired girl waiting patiently in the lobby.

"So, Mr. Klein, what are your intentions with this company now that you own most of it?" Asked one of the senior directors.

"I'll buy it off you for a Yen!" May shouted eagerly, entering the room. She was dressed in a much more comfortable faded brown trench coat, her collar striped green.

"T-That's outrageous! You can't just buy twenty billion Yen in shares with just a single coin!" Another director shouted.

"…Okay." James shrugged, walking to leave the room. May flipped a coin into the air that he caught, leaving without another word. The deal that he had made with May before was for her to manage her own company, so that he wouldn't have to provide for her financially. She still lived with him though, mostly just to piss him off.

"Unbelievable." The CEO muttered. "So, um, what is your name, Miss…?

"Greenfield. May Greenfield." She announced proudly. "Now, who can tell me what our biggest product is!"

"It's…uh…pacemakers?" One of the directors muttered confused.

"WRONG!" May screamed happily. "From this day forward, we will begin the production of pulse laser weapons."

"Pulse laser-I'm sorry Ms. Greenfield, this is no place for joking around. This is a medical-tech company, not some sci-fi fantasy factory." The CEO explained.

In response, May opened up a suitcase she had, and violently slammed a thick packet of papers in front of the CEO.

"…" Taking a moment to look over the papers, the man looked up in surprise. "These are…highly detailed plans for the production of laser weapons." His statement brought out many confused and excited voices.

"Even if we can switch over production to laser weapons, how are we going to keep the company afloat until they are ready for mass-production?" Another director questioned.

"I'm glad you asked." May announced. "See, I don't want to completely do away with our medical products. In fact, I intend to upgrade them." She then threw another packet at the man who had spoken, who began to quickly read in surprise.

"This is…a pacemaker powered by a person's nervous system!"

"That's right, but that's only the beginning. I fully intend to bring a full line of cybernetic enhancements to the market."

"That is brilliant Miss Greenfield! Do you have any other suggestions for the company!" A third executive shouted excitedly.

"Hmm, I sure do." She then handed him a photo to look at. "Tell me, what's wrong with this picture?"

"I…I don't understand, this is just a picture of Mars?"

"WRONG AGAIN!" May shouted. "It's the wrong color!"

This time, everyone in the room looked at her strangely. "I'm…sorry…?" The CEO questioned.

"Within the next twenty years, I want to see serious effort made into turning it green." May demanded. "Oh, also we need a new name to represent the changes we will be bringing to the future, so how about…Murakumo Millennium?"

. . .

"Heh, you should have seen their faces James. Thanks again for the designs." May skipped as she spoke, next to the taller Lynx as they exited the building together.

"It would have been more unusual to have only one corporation producing advanced technology. This way, we can work together as competitors, with Chrome building railguns, fusion reactors, and better medications while your company produces laser weapons, cybernetic enhancements, and other specialized tech." James explained.

* * *

Meanwhile / One Hundred Meters Away

The Investigator watched as his two targets, The Butcher and The Devil, walked side by side. He'd assumed correctly that he might find them in some relation together, and that had made finding the both of them very easy. Still, their extreme expertise in combat had awarded them a level of caution that typically wasn't considered.

As such, they were relying on passive surveillance to learn more about their targets. He had no plans to make yet, not as he watched from a closed window on the two mysteries. No, any plans to move against them would come later, when they had learned much more.

* * *

After School / The Next Day

The project he was working on was proving most difficult, in that only the highest quality material could be used on it. As such, he had started home early to work more on the design. Still, once it was done, it would greatly increase ORCA's capacity for destruction.

"Hey you!" A voice he didn't recognize shouted at him. Turning to regard the voice, he found a boy from his school, with slightly longer hair. "You-! You stay away from May, you hear!"

"…What?" James cocked his head in confusion. "Why?"

"Because…you don't treat her the way she deserves!" The boy declared.

"…Is this about that time I fucked her or…?" James's hand twisted up in a questioning gesture.

"You-! You bastard!" The boy punched him in the face, immediately regretting it as his hand stung like he'd punched a wall.

"Oh…that's interesting." James suppressed the cruel smile he wanted to crack. "Tell me, why are you here? What are your intentions towards May?"

"I…I want to protect her from you! You've hurt her too much!" The boy accused. "She's beautiful and kind and deserves so much-"

"We are talking about the same May, right? The May I know is a bitch who nearly tore my face off." James pointed at the bandage on his face. While most of his wounds had healed, the stab wounds and his face would take several days longer to heal. "She doesn't need protection from me, because I at least give her something to oppose. I've known May a lot longer than you, little boy, so trust me when I say it's in your best interest to not get involved."

"That's-!" The boy paused, already surprised at how his big confrontation against May's supposed abuser was going. "Even so, I still chose to fight for her."

Unfortunately, his choice of words was so damnable that it left James with no other choice.

"Oh…oh dear." James found the closest bench to sit down. "You poor, damned little fool. You don't know what you just resigned yourself for, do you?" With a sigh James took out his phone, calling the girl in question. "Hi May, so…I'm a few minutes outside school…yeah…and I've met this guy, who has stated rather abruptly, that he fights for you…" James took his phone away from his head, as it exploded in volume with what sounded like "Where is that ass fucked shit wad!?" screaming out of it. James spoke again into the phone, "Yeah, I'll be here May, I'll just…wait I guess." Turing the phone off, James waited patiently on the bench.

"You're not going to fight me?" The boy question confused.

"Oh, no, not after what you just said. I'd prefer not to get involved. You can talk to May about this." James declined, preferring to stay seated for the show.

Less than five minutes later, May and the rest of the club rounded the corner. The girls were a bit out of breath from trying to keep up with May, while May herself looked furious and unamused.

"M-May! You really came! I was just confront-" Ren was cut off however, when May backhanded him. "Ack! What the fuck! May!?" He screamed confused.

"Listen here you little shit! No one, and I mean NO ONE, fights for me! I can fight for myself!" May raised her fists, making her intentions known.

"May…I'm not going to fight you." He tried to de-escalate the situation.

"Too bad." May's fists rapidly went back and forth across his stomach, before she swept his legs out from under him, pushing him over to fall on his back. She'd clearly been holding back as Ren then vomited his lunch and not a few internal organs.

"May…that's enough…please." Sayori pleaded to her, causing May to shrug and back off.

"Don't you ever claim to fight for me again, you hear?" May threatened calmly.

"…" Sighing, Monika went to go pick up the boy she passively remembered as Ren. "Come on Ren, just go home." She uttered calmly and quietly.

"G-Get off of me!" Ren shoved her away as he tried to stand, embarrassed and enraged that everything he had planned was undone. Unfortunately, he shoved someone who just so happened to be the commander of a terrorist reactionary force.

Nobody had time to even blink as James and May each pounced on Ren, throwing his face to the ground. James had one hand on his back, the other on a knife that threatened to take out his eyes. May loudly cocked a gun, that she pointed at his head on the ground.

" _Hand's off the commander_." May ordered, far too calm and far too inhuman. Ren turned his head, trying to find May's eyes, to rationalize what was currently happening to himself.

He found both their sets, piercing orbs of green and orange, burning yet cold, calm yet hateful, unmoving and absolutely focused.

"…Guys…let him go…" Monika ordered, tired and unsurprised. She wasn't scared anymore of how quick and lethal her Lynx could be, she was scared that she expected it of them.

Following her orders, both Lynx released their prisoner, who ran away sobbing. Once he had left their sight, the Lynx holstered their weapons, while the humans shifted uncomfortably. They hadn't even held their breath, being more surprised that Ren was allowed to live.

"You guys are far too scary." Natsuki mumbled tiredly.

"I agree, you should consider not jumping into combat for the slightest reasons." Yuri suggested.

"Thank you at least, for not killing him." Sayori stated, partly honest, knowing there was nothing she could have done to save his life if they chose otherwise.

"That was…" Monika realized something. "You called me 'commander' May, why?"

"…!" May flinched, embarrassed as all attention fell on her. "I um…well…listen. Even though you are not _my_ commander, you are the commander of an organization I recognize, and it would be more problematic if you were to be hurt or injured. B-Besides! You are still the President of the Literature Club, so I have to protect you for that."

"…" James quietly hummed in thought, finding her statement only partially truthful and unable to figure out what she might be hiding.

* * *

Saturday

James opened his front door to find Yuri standing there awkwardly. She looked away, hiding her eyes with her hair in the way she did when she was embarrassed.

"Yuri…?" He greeted and asked, wondering what this was about.

"Is…um…is it just you…?" Yuri asked, avoiding her real reason for being there and keeping him guessing.

"What?" He frowned at her indecisiveness.

"Hang on! That's for me!" May ran up to the door, lightly pushing James out of her way, and causing Yuri to look up in surprise, her cheeks bright red.

"M-May…!" Yuri stuttered, uncertain how to proceed further.

"Huh, no wonder you were single for so long, poor little girl. Well! Come in! Let me take care of you!" May announced eagerly, grabbing Yuri's hand and pulling her into the house. "Oh, and James, if you interrupt us for anything unimportant, **I'll cut your fucking dick off**." She sneered hatefully for a second, before smiling happily, dragging Yuri off to her room.

"…" James rolled his eyes in annoyance, utterly indifferent to May's antics and her choice in partners. Moving to close the door, he paused for a brief second to answer an unexpected phone call, from the number of his Yakuza contact.

"Yes…what do you mean the boss is dead?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This technically concludes May's introductory arch and sets up the next arch. So expect a lot of excitement. Chapter 30 is still in the works, but only because it's a highly detailed "planning chapter" that introduces and sets up events for at least 31-34, so I'm almost writing five chapters at once. The biggest problem is timing, but I think I have it down.
> 
> Been set back by another personal tragedy, which has left me emotionally drained and stressed, but I am still always thinking about how I can move this story forward. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and expect much more excitement to come! Please feel free to leave a comment and let me know what you think.
> 
> To LazyArtist13: I'm glad you are enthusiastic about this. Stay tuned for much more!


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